


The Names

by CaptainAmericaontheTardis



Series: Exactly as We and They Are [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BAMF Klaus Hargreeves, Depression, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Good Parent Klaus Hargreeves, Humor, Hurt Klaus Hargreeves, Hurt/Comfort, Immortal Klaus Hargreeves, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kid Fic, M/M, Major Character Injury, Non-Binary Klaus Hargreeves, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Not Beta Read, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Domestic Violence, Past Relationship(s), Period-Typical Homophobia, Sickfic, Temporary Character Death, Time Travel, Trans Diego Hargreeves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:34:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 78,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25362457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainAmericaontheTardis/pseuds/CaptainAmericaontheTardis
Summary: "Think of all the roads. Think of all their crossings. Taking steps is easy. Standing still is hard. Remember all their faces. Remember all their voices. Everything is different, the second time around"--Regina Spektor--A series of one shots about the names that matter most throughout the extraordinary life of Klaus Hargreeves in a world where Dave didn't die and Klaus makes a decision that will change his life and the world forever.A universe where Dave survives and he and Klaus end up shattering the timeline by adopting Theo, Daisy, and Ben; 3 children who were never supposed to live
Relationships: Dave/Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves/Lila Pitts, Klaus Hargreeves & Everyone, Klaus Hargreeves/Original Male Character(s), Raymond Chestnut/Allison Hargreeves, Sissy Cooper/Vanya Hargreeves
Series: Exactly as We and They Are [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884565
Comments: 114
Kudos: 246





	1. Theo

**Author's Note:**

> Christ on a cracker, Dave! I haven't written anything for a public audience in literally years! Anyway, I'm getting into writing again and wanted some practice and with the new season coming out soon I decided to give this fandom a shot. Klaus is a very important character to me so I hope I do him justice with this little fix-it fic.  
> I hope you enjoy!

“Coward, my ass.” Is what Dave mumbles angrily under his breath as he sees Klaus sprint through a firefight towards a burning building. He tries his best to give him cover but there’s only so much he can do in this goddamn clusterfuck of a battle, so soon he gives up and just tries to follow. 

“Coward.” That’s what Klaus had called himself. He wasn’t saying it as a joke, no, this was a genuine moment of sincerity they had while Dave miraculously (Is what the medics said) recovered from a bullet wound to the chest.

“I’m too much of a coward to do this without you, Dave.” He had tears in his eyes watching Dave’s labored breathing. Dave wanted to say something back but it was all such a blur and the last thing he remembered before waking up, alive and healthy, much to the shock of everyone was Klaus pressing a soft kiss on his hand and a gentle blue light that flashed in his eyes. 

That had been a couple months ago and Dave now knew that the commission had abandoned him. So they soldiered on, but everyday was getting harder and harder to keep fighting. They had no reason to be here and so Dave looked to Klaus just to maintain a will to keep going. 

Ridiculous. Dave thought as he ducked behind a barrier, eyes straining to see where Klaus was and what the hell he was doing. 

*****************************  
It was loud. Always so fucking loud and he wasn’t even talking about the actual battle raging on around him, no, Klaus saw everything else. He saw as his fellow soldiers fell from their mutilated bodies and realized that they were never going home. He saw as people's lives were torn apart and their country violated and destroyed and how that pain screamed and lingered even after the bullets and the bombs stopped flying. 

There was nothing he could do for them. And yet, through the scene around him a calm face appeared. Half of her face was missing but she smiled as she realized that Klaus could see her and she said “He’s alive.” in Vietnamese and pointed to a house that was currently being lit on fire. 

Maybe this was something he could actually do to help. So he did what he was best at and he ran. He felt a pang of guilt as he slipped through Dave’s fingers and his cry of “Klaus! What are you doing!?”

He busted into the house and he cried out as the fire scalded his arms. He stepped over a man’s body in the doorway, his ghost watching him from the flames and immediately clocked the familiar woman’s body draped over something. He pulled her body away to reveal a tiny baby, swaddled up in blankets and screaming at the top of his tiny little lungs. 

He wasted no time in grabbing the baby, saying a quick apology to the mother standing over him and bursting out through the side of the house. Once outside he crouched down and pulled the blanket away from the child's face. The baby stopped crying for a moment and stared up at him curiously. 

He was the most precious and perfect thing Klaus had ever laid eyes upon and he couldn’t stop marveling at him. If he had been watching the scene from an outsider’s perspective he would have seen the swirling blue light that flashed between them as he pulled the blanket away. 

An involuntary “Oh…” slipped from his lips and he felt something primal, something integral to his soul change in that moment. His first impression was that it was like someone had shot him in the chest, a brutal moment of clarity and visceral reality. Then he was promptly shot for real in the back of the head and he decided that his first impression had been greatly hyperbolic in hindsight. 

*****************************

Dave rounded the back of what was left of the building and his legs buckled underneath him. Klaus was slumped over in the mud, a massive hole in his skull leaked blood and brain matter over his body. 

“No, no, no, no, Klaus! Angel, no please!” Dave ran to him, feeling foolish that he thought there might be something he could do to help. 

He rolled him over, revealing the reason he had run out unprotected in the first place. The baby screamed and wigged against his blanket. Klaus’s eyes were still open, once emerald green now dull and dark, stared blankly at the baby. 

“Angel…” He kissed the dead soldier’s face as a pained sob escaped his throat. 

He turned back to the infant, blubbering and screaming against Klaus’ arm. His hands felt too calloused and too bloody but he used the back of his knuckle to wipe away some of the tears falling from the baby’s eyes and mustered a weak smile. “Shhh, it’s okay, sweetheart, it’s okay.” He pulled the infant from Klaus’ dead hands and pulled him into his chest “It’s okay, I'm going to protect you.”

Dave looked to Klaus and his mind flashed to that damn briefcase he always kept with him, it was a long shot but worth a try. He decided he wasn’t going to leave Klaus’ body here in the mud, he was going to get all of them home somehow, someway and give the man he loved a proper funeral. 

*****************************

It was two weeks later that Klaus bolted upright screaming. There was no part of his body that didn’t hurt and his head, well, felt like someone had drilled a massive hole in it. The first thing he remembered was the baby’s face staring up at him, so sweetly and so innocently. The first thing he realized was that the baby was no longer in his arms, he had lost him. The most beautiful thing he had ever held and he still managed to fuck everything up. 

Klaus curled up onto his side and wailed unapologetically into his hands. 

Then his hands were being pulled away. 

“Klaus. Angel, it’s okay, you’re safe - Angel, look at me, please.” 

Klaus opened his eyes and stared into Dave’s face. He realized that they definitely didn’t seem to be in the jungle anymore, he was in a bedroom with tacky flower wallpaper. Dave looked like a zombie, was the next thing he noticed. He had lost weight, pale, with dark circles under his eyes and it looked like he hadn’t brushed his hair in a while. He was still beautiful, Klaus thought. 

“Dave!” Klaus grasped for his hands deliriously. “Dave- I failed - I- I - My baby - I” He blubbered and cried out. 

“Klaus, no, it’s okay - let me - I’ll be right back” Klaus grasped for him desperately “I’ll be right here okay, just give me one second.”

Then Dave was gone and Klaus continued to sob, the pain in his head was almost unbearable.

Dave rushed back into the room, this time with a bundled blanket. He sat down on the edge of the bed and gently placed the infant into Klaus’s arms. 

“See? He’s fine, he’s alive, you saved him.”

Klaus stared at the baby, “Oh my god…”

Dave laughed, “Yeah.”

For once in his life Four Hargeeves was speechless as he stared at the tiny human life gazing up at him. The baby gargled and blew a happy little spit bubble. He reached for Klaus’ face and tugged at his nose. 

They all went silent for several minutes until Klaus finally pulled his eyes away from the infant to Dave’s face. 

He didn’t have to ask any questions. 

“I used that briefcase of yours to get us all out of there. I wanted to bury you at home… You woke up. You were dead. I- It’s been two weeks.”

“I’m so sorry, Dave, I- “

Dave shook his head “Don’t. I’m so thankful that you’re alive and that we have him now.” He gestured to the infant pulling Klaus’ bottom lip down, “We both have things that we need to talk about but for right now, we’re alive, we’re safe, and we need to rest - you need to rest. It’s healed up an insane amount but the injury is still very fresh.”

“I love you, Dave.”

“Guh- Gack!”

They smiled at him. 

“Did you name him?” Klaus asked. 

Dave reached over and let the baby hold his finger. “Yeah, I got him all set up. I named him after my grandfather and you. I hope that’s okay.”

Klaus thought about it, “Your grand- Theodore? Theodore Klaus Katz?” He made a face as he said the middle name. 

Dave chuckled, “Theodore Angel Katz, actually.”

Klaus shook his head, “Oh, you smooth motherfu-”

“Klaus!”

“Sorry! Sorry, I’ll have to get used to that.” 

Klaus looked down at the baby and his face softened “I love you, Theo. I’m going to take care of you, okay? I’m gonna have your back, no matter what. And I’ll be better, I promise.” He pressed a kiss on the infant’s head “I’m gonna be better.”


	2. Sassy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave and Klaus' family grows in an unexpected way after much protest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

“Maybe we should get a dog.”

Klaus raised an eyebrow in response. He was standing next to Dave while he balanced precariously on a ladder and screwed in a camera. 

The commission had left them alone so far but the fear that soon their home could be taken down was hanging over them all the time. Everyday they were putting up more cameras and alarms around the perimeter of the house while still trying to maintain some shred of normalcy. 

Dave was great at home improvement stuff including the wiring and maintenance that came with adding the protections and Klaus was damn good at standing next to him and handing him tools.

“A dog?”

“Yeah, like something to help protect the house.”

Klaus grimaced and glanced over to where Theo was babbling and passionately beating one of his stuffed animals against the side of his pen then chewing on it. 

He waved his “HELLO” hand absently “What about Theo? what if it tries to- I don’t know, eat him?”

Dave laughed “We’d get one that’s good with kids, Christ, Angel.”

He jiggled the camera slightly to make sure that it was stable then climbed down and wiped the sweat from his forehead, “I had the best dog growing up, a little mutt, we named her Lassy- she basically grew up with me.”

“That’s so sweet. How ever did you come up with such an original name for a dog?”

Dave threw a glove at Klaus stomach “Ass. My sister was 6 when they got the dog.”

“That’s no excuse.”

They strolled back to sit next to Theo playing in his pen.

“You didn’t have a pet or something growing up?”

Klaus snorted, “In Reggie’s household? Not a chance - He barely tolerated us kids and we didn’t even shed everywhere.” He sighed and looked off into the sky “My brother Ben was obsessed with having a pet though - Even caught a mouse in the attic one time and made it a little house…” He trailed off “Didn’t end well.”

Dave cringed “I still think it would be a good idea, a little added protection and something Theo could play with.”

Klaus sighed, “Okay, but it’s gotta stay outside and you get poop duty since it’s your idea.”

“Deal.”  
********************************************

It was three weeks later when they finally made their way to the animal shelter, it was a small run down establishment but the people there seemed passionate about what they were doing. 

Theo did not like the many barking dogs that jumped at their cages and it took Klaus a while to calm him down when they were seated in a dingy show room. Klaus gave Dave a pointed look. 

“It’s fine - I’ll pick some out and we can all meet them one at a time.” He left with the attendant. 

Klaus glanced down at his cranky son “Don’t look at me, this wasn’t my idea, kid.”

They went through several meet and greets with several dogs and it generally went terribly. The dogs were so excited to be out and they wiggled and jumped and both the attendant and Dave struggled to keep the mix of large guard dogs under control. Dave seemed to be having a great time and Klaus was really trying but the large, dirty paws wildly swinging at his legs and his baby were not making it easy. Not to mention the incessant barking mixed with the trailing ghost voices were making him irritable and frustrated.

Klaus was about to tap out and draw the line when the attendant brought in one last dog. She was a small pit bull with big brown eyes and little floppy ears that bounced when she walked. She was brindle with a white chest and flicks of white all over her body. She wiggled shyly over to Klaus then walked away and towards the door, not looking up at him. 

“This is Sassy, she’s a little shy.” The attendant began “But she’s real sweet when you get to know her.”

“She’s a little small.” Dave pointed out.

“I think you mean, ‘easy to handle’” Klaus countered and he handed the baby to David and approached the dog. Sassy sniffed his fingers and licked him a few times. 

“She’s small but she’s a little bully - she’s got a lot of power behind that frame.” The attendant tried. 

Klaus finally sat down on the floor. He gingerly pet the top of her head, this was all she needed and she bumbled into his lap. She was small enough to fit in his lap but still large enough that she covered his entire torso. Dave came over and introduced himself as well, still keeping Theo on his opposite side. 

Klaus sniffed his hands and grimaced. “Ugh, she needs a bath and so do I. Excuse me-” He gestured to the attendant “Does this one eat babies?”

She stuttered “Uh - I mean, not that I know of.” She shifted uncomfortably.

“What chances are we looking at? Like a solid 80 out of a 100 that it doesn’t eat babies?” 

“Uh, I mean, she’s been abused but she’s really very nice and I haven’t seen any - um - aggression from her.”

Dave saved the poor woman “She seems sweet- here lets see what she thinks--” He bent down and let Theo’s hand reach towards the dog. 

His boyfriend promptly covered the dogs face “What? That’s not how you test things! We might as well just throw him in there with a bunch of them and whichever one hasn’t eaten one off his fingers we just take that one home.” He seemed legitimately panicked. 

Dave laughed, “Klaus, it’s okay- you’re just going to have to trust me on this.”

Klaus took a little more convincing but eventually they let Sassy and Theo meet and no fingers or toes were eaten. They ended up taking her, of course. Dave had some worries that she was too small and her hair was too short but she had managed to charm Klaus so they would have to give it a shot.

********************************************  
It was a whole 5 days later when Dave woke up in the middle of the night to snoring. His first thought is that Klaus only snores when he’s sick so he rolls over and places a hand on his boyfriend’s forehead. He doesn’t have a fever. 

Dave looks around only to find the source of the disturbance, laying spread eagle on her back behind Klaus’ knees, her back paws kicking lightly as she dreamed of the chase. 

Dave groaned “Oh my god.” and fell back into bed. 

The next morning Dave confronted Klaus while he was brushing his teeth.

“‘ She has to stay outside, Dave, I don’t want her shitting in the house and leaving hair everywhere.’” Dave gave an exaggerated, high pitched impression of Klaus just days earlier.

“It was cold last night, Dave!” Klaus said through his toothbrush. 

“It was 55 degrees last night!”

“I know, I know! I just- “ He spit out the toothpaste “I felt so bad about her being out there all by herself with the wild animals.”

“She’s in the backyard! And she’s a dog, she knows how to take care of herself.”

“Yeah, and every time I’ve gone out to feed her in the mornings she whines like she’s been scared and I couldn’t sleep so I just brought her inside.”

“In our bed?”

“Well, she doesn’t have a dog bed!”

“She snores like my father.”

Theo chose that moment to wake up and start crying for food. “You’re not going to win this one.” Dave left the bathroom to go get his son but he didn’t miss the cocky smirk on Klaus’ face as he turned away. As he passed their bedroom and saw Sassy laying on his pillow, she watched him with all the mocking confidence of someone who knew they had become untouchable. 

********************************************

Sassy passes away 14 years later after a battle with cancer; She drifts away as Dave holds her in his lap and Klaus openly weeps above her. She’s lived a long life and one with so many adventures and challenges; but that doesn’t make it any less devastating. 

To Dave and his children, their beloved pet is gone but Klaus knows exactly where she is. She’s by his side, always. And she’s with his children, his ever loyal beast.

It makes him feel better in some ways actually, living she could only do as much as her flesh body and age would allow her but from now on she could protect her family with no limit. With one wave of his hand she could appear in blue light and fulfill her duty as their loving guard dog. 

Sassy’s spot on the bed is never taken and even in death it was still the fight that Dave never won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI!   
> So Sassy is actually a dog that I knew while working at an animal shelter. She left quite an impression on me and I just really wanted them to have a dog.   
> Thanks so much for reading!   
> -Shawn (He/Him) and (They/Them)


	3. Axel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes the people who impact you the most aren't the ones who care about you and as much as it hurts to admit; Those feelings can linger on long into the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So this one is a little darker than the other two and features some domestic violence aftermath. It gets better at the end but if that's triggering then just skip this chapter.

Past / Future 2015 

“Klaus! Klaus, goddamnit, stop!’

Klaus cringed, he had really hoped that he would be able to slip away after their fight without Axel noticing. He had a walmart bag full of his stuff and had been so quiet, how had that asshole clocked him leaving? He sped up but couldn’t make it to the door before Axel’s hand grabbed his arm and turned him around against the wall. 

“Klaus, I’m sorry, okay? Look, it won’t happen again - don’t act like this, okay? It was just a fight - I don’t want you to go. I’ll watch my temper, I promise.” Axel watched him, his eyes soft and pleading. 

He really was a handsome guy, Klaus felt quite lucky sometimes and he had a house and let him do any drug that he wanted. This could have been so good so what did Klaus do to make him turn like that? Why did this keep happening and why couldn’t he keep a partner happy?

“You said that the last 3 times!” Klaus gestured to his own bleeding and bruised face and the eye that was so swollen it could barely open.

“Look, I mean it this time! You gotta stop running away everytime we get into a fight- especially with the shit you start!” He laughed, obviously trying to lighten the mood with his fucked up jokes. 

Klaus groaned. 

“That wasn’t a fight - he just assaulted you.” Ben was standing next to the scene, his arms crossed. He glared at Axel. 

“I don’t even remember what we were fighting about and here I am with a broken fucking tooth! I don’t see you bleeding anywhere!” Klaus whined desperately, he was so tired, he was too high to fight back but not high enough to drown everything out, his face and body hurt and he was dreading going back out on the streets where he would no doubt have to work every night to get drugs and shelter. 

Axel growled, “Where the fuck are you even going to go? You brother doesn’t even want to see you? And you keep whoring yourself out every night you're gonna get murdered and left in a ditch somewhere, c’mon, baby, I know I’m not perfect but you need me.”

Klaus hated that he was right. He hated it so much. 

“Diego will help you, Klaus, he just doesn’t like this asshole. You were in less danger on the street- at least you could run away there.” Ben countered “You can do this, Klaus.”

He looked at his brother’s pleading face, dead and unable to do anything to help except urge him forward. 

“Fucking look at me.” Axel pulled his chin to face him again.

“And yet even with all that I still don’t want to be here with you, what does that say about you?”

Axel slammed his fist into the wall next to his head. Klaus felt so ashamed that he cowered and didn’t fight back like he was trained to do but he was so dizzy and so so tired. 

“But you’re right- you’re right - I don’t have anywhere to go. I’ll try not to start any more shit.”

Axel smiled, “There he is.” He kissed Klaus’ bleeding lip. 

Klaus cringed and looked away.

“C’mon, lets go to bed- I bet you’re ready for another hit, yeah?” He pushed off the wall and dragged Klaus back to the bedroom. 

In a moment of brilliant clarity for the Séance, he skipped the high and waited patiently for the other man to fall asleep. In the middle of the night he slipped out from under Axel’s arm and tiptoed not to the front door but to the dresser much to his ghost brother’s anxiety. 

“Jesus Christ Klaus, just leave! He’ll wake up!” Ben was pacing as his brother picked the dresser lock and delicately pulled out the bag of pills hidden inside. He scribbled something on a piece of paper and then snuck out. Once he was finally outside he bolted away down the street. 

When Axel woke up the next morning he found a note on Klaus’ pillow. 

Dear Axel  
Thanks for the drugs   
Fuck you.   
Love Klaus XOXO

************************************************

Present / Past 

It was afternoon and Theo was asleep in his crib, down the hall Klaus and Dave were in the middle of an all out fight. They were two men in love in the early 70s with a baby, there were things to hide but Klaus felt that for the millionth time Dave was letting his fear and paranoia get the best of him.

He had just suggested that maybe they should rent another small apartment as a front so that Dave could legally say that he lived there if people asked why they were living together. That this might make it easier for them to keep their relationship a secret. 

“We can’t afford that!” Klaus countered “And it shouldn’t matter! Why would anyone care to be in our business at all - why would people be asking those questions?”

“Because people are hateful and ignorant. Klaus, this could become serious, especially when he’s older! What is he going to tell people?”

Dave was thoroughly and aggressively folding a load of laundry and putting things away. Klaus had noticed that this is what Dave did when he felt out of control and stressed - he had to be doing something; Cleaning, cooking, building furniture - anything to let him feel back under control of things again.

Klaus on the other hand froze, he stood in front of the closet, his weight shifting from foot to foot as his head moved to follow Dave as he worked. His arms were waving at this point as he spoke “David, why can’t we just enjoy this for a little while longer? He’s just a baby! He’s not going to be talking for a while! Why does it all have to be so complicated?”

Dave grumbled and snatched a shirt from the basket “Goddamnit Klaus, you said the same thing 2 months ago when I brought it up. I’m just asking you to take this seriously! What happens to Theo if people find out about our relationship?”

Dave’s hand went past Klaus’ head to get a hanger from the closet. Klaus flinched. His whole body jolted backwards and he collided with the closet door.

“Fuck!” Klaus cursed and looked away, covering his face. “I’m sorry.” He added softly. 

Dave dropped the hanger and stepped away as his shoulders fell. He continued to move backwards until he was sitting on the bed- his anger subsiding fast. 

They fell into a heavy silence for several minutes, the clock suddenly seemed obnoxiously loud and Klaus’ breathing struggled to even out.

Dave sat on the bed twisting the shirt in his hands and Klaus stood perfectly still with his hand covering his mouth while he stared at the floor. 

When Dave finally spoke his voice was soft, “I think maybe you’re right, I’m getting way too complicated. Maybe we can just make up a story - Like I’m your cousin and your wife died in Nam… Or something like that…”

Klaus glanced up and moved to sit next to his boyfriend on the bed. “I could go to the city on Monday and get my name changed over to ‘Katz’ - They won’t have any reason to believe we aren’t cousins then…”

Dave smirked “Are you proposing to me, Hargreeves?”

Klaus chortled and his arms went back to articulating his words “Well, Damn, David- You did the gay version of knocking me up out of wedlock- Look a ladies gotta do what he’s gotta do to get a ring on it, if you know what I mean.” He made a ‘Single Ladies’ gesture with his ‘Good Bye’ hand. 

The reference was lost on his boyfriend. 

“So it’s a plan then? You can charm your way into the name changing office on Monday and I’ll work on getting you that ring.”

Klaus grinned “So what kind of carat are we talking about here, Katz?”

“Carat? Oh I was just going to get you one of those ring pop things from the filling station down the road- My bad. Did you want something expensive?”

Klaus shoved him playfully “Fuck off!”

Dave giggled and Klaus leaned against his shoulder. 

Dave moved to reach his arm around but stopped, looking pointedly at his boyfriend “Is it okay if I--?”

Klaus nodded and he reached around and pulled him into a hug and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. They paused there for several moments. 

“Klaus, I’m sorry that I scared you. I- I should have read the room better.”

“No, no you didn’t do anything wrong.” Klaus let out a long exhale “I just went someplace else for a second. Old Habits die hard and all that.”

Dave would hesitate to call those behaviors “habits” but he didn’t press the matter.

“Well, I’ll be here to bring you back if you go there again.”

“I know you will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!   
> \- Shawn (He/They)


	4. Daisy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New blessings come when you need them the most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world is on fire - here's the best tooth rotting fluff I could come up with.   
> Enjoy!

“Angel…”

Klaus was lying diagonally on their bed, his arms and head dangling over the side with his now impressively long hair falling to the floor. His skin was puffy and blotchy - It had been a rough night. Night terrors and a pounding headache had taken him out for the morning; It was 1 in the afternoon and he was just now recovering from the migraine.

“Hhm?”

“I hate to tell you where to put your stuff but I’m gonna need you to put your makeup in a higher drawer.”

Dave rounded the corner and stepped into the room, the sun coming in from the windows just enough to illuminate his haphazardly decorated face. His lips were drunkenly lined in red lipstick and purple and green eyeshadow raised from his eyelids like a cartoon water scene. The artist also took a few liberties; adding a lopsided lipstick heart to his right cheek and eye liner flowers surrounding his beard. All topped with butterfly hair clips dangling from his curls. 

He stared blankly at the man in the bed. 

Klaus burst out laughing, covering his face and rolled over to sit up against the wall. 

Dave waited for him to finish. “Look, I’ve got five sisters - This isn’t the first time this has happened to me and I admit, I should have been more prepared but lets maybe… Put the makeup in the cabinet.” He was trying to sound serious but his mouth was already pulled up in a defeated smile - partially because Klaus hadn’t stopped gawking gleefully at him since he came into the room. 

“I’ve gotta say, David -” Klaus made a frame gesture with his hands over his partner’s face “This is some truly inventive work. This artist is going places - she’s not defined by the box or society's standards of makeup expression.”

“Hhm, I agree. Do you know where she is, by the way.”

Klaus shrugged, “Oh my, I don’t have any idea. You were supposed to be watching her.”

Dave moved to sit on the opposite side of the bed, “Yeah, but I fell asleep and when I woke up I had all these-- Improvements-- done to my face and now I can’t seem to find her anywhere.”

“Tsk, tsk, That was your first mistake.”

Dave sighed, “Yeah…”

He looked around the room for several moments while Klaus continued staring at him joyfully. “Damn, Angel, this bed is getting kinda lumpy.”

“Lumpy?”

“Yeah, you know, it’s kind of uneven these days.”

“Maybe we should buy a new mattress.”

Dave shook his head, “Nah, these old mattresses you can just beat the lumps out of them.”

Klaus feigned surprise “Really? Just beat the lumps right outta them?”

“Oh yeah, see, you just take a pillow and then you just beat the lumps out.” He grabbed an old pillow and began hitting the bed and comforter. A scream and piercing giggling erupted from underneath the blankets and their little girl burst out just in time for Dave to catch her and roll her over- tickling her furiously.

“See, I don’t have to play fair either!”

The little girl wiggled and squirmed. She cackled and screamed. Klaus watched fondly even though his head was still feeling a little sensitive to all the sudden noise.   
“I close my eyes for two seconds and you betray your old man like this - what am I going to do with you?”

She smiled up at him “Sorry, Poppa.”

“Uh huh - You’re lucky you’re so darn cute - now, come on, you’re gonna help me get this off before I have to go to work. Let mom rest some more after his head ache.”

“Okay!”

Daisy jumped up and bolted out of the room. Dave moved to the door and turned back to his partner looking tiredly up from the pillows “Sorry I barged in on you but to be fair you were harboring a little fugitive.”

Klaus smiled up at him “What was I supposed to do? I’m weak against those big brown eyes.” Then he added “I bet the boys at the fire station are gonna love your new look.”

“Oh, they’re never going to let me live this down. I have no idea how much of this I’m gonna be able to wipe off. I didn’t even know you had lipstick?”

“Hm, I bought some but never worn it. I’m glad someone got some use out of it.”

Dave rolled his eyes then moved to close the door “Take it easy, I’ll bring her back in before I leave.”

“Love ya, darling.”

“Love you, Angel.”

*************************************************

After Dave left Klaus finally got out of bed and pulled on a robe and went into the rest of the house. Daisy, trailed behind him babbling happily about everything he had missed during the morning. He glanced out the window and then at the clock. It was 2:45 and Theo would be getting out of school soon. Ever paranoid even in paradise, Klaus wouldn’t feel comfortable relaxing until he had both his babies with him at once. 

“Are you okay, Momma?” Daisy was staring up at him while he got lost in his thoughts out the window. 

“Who me? I’m doing fine, sweet heart. Don’t you worry about me.”

He picked her up and went into the bathroom and set her down on a chair. He turned away and began getting hair supplies, setting the combs and oils down in order of use. He loved this part of the day where he got to do her hair, it reminded him of being a child and Allison using him as her own personal hair stylist. 

“You had nightmares?”

He began undoing her braids and combing her curls. “Yeah, I had some nightmares last night.” He watched her face closely in the mirror, “Did I wake you up? Did you hear anything?”

She nodded.

“I’m so sorry, love. Did that scare you?” 

Her head moved obediently as he tugged at her hair and moved from side to side with the brush. 

“Yeah, but nightmares are scary. I don’t like nightmares.”

“Me neither, kid. But I’m sorry that I scared you, did you talk to your pops about it?”

She shook her head. 

“No, I went to Theo’s room and he said it was alright. He said you just needed to rest.”

Klaus was amazed by how independent his little girl was, he could imagine her so clearly; Waking up to the sounds of her mom screaming and instead of panicking she went to her brother’s room, assessed the situation and then made a decision from there. She was 4 and already had more emotional intelligence than he had when he was 20. 

Also, it was so different from when Theo was her age. Theo in her position would have just come into their bedroom. He was so empathetic and even as a little child would try to make his father smile when he was sick or coming out of night terrors. This habit terrified Klaus since he got so delirious after waking up and had a hard time remembering what happened so Dave would have to control the situation while Klaus recovered. 

“Well, he was right, I just needed to get some sleep. But if you’re scared you can always come to us, you know that right?”

“Uh- huh.” She said happily, kicking her feet under against the chair.

Klaus hummed while he worked, a little tune from the Tv that just would not stop repeating over and over again in his head. It was infuriating. 

“You know, I used to do your aunt Allison’s hair like this.” He mentioned, beginning to pull his finger through her hair with the first solution. 

“The rumor.”

“Yeah, the rumor- She became a big ‘ole movie star and had professionals fix her up for her movies but it all started with the two of us listening to records and her pointing out hairstyles from magazines that she wanted. I’m glad I was paying attention so we could do this someday.”

He kissed her cheek. 

“Where is Aunt Allison?”

“Oh, she’s off in Hollywood somewhere - You’ll meet her someday. She’s just going to love you so much. She’ll probably take you to some of her celebrity hang outs.”

She glanced up at him skeptically, “Like Grover?”

He smiled “Oh yeah, She hangs out with Grover, for sure.”

Klaus heard the front door swing open and he put the hair stuff down and wiped his hands on his robe. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

He moved quickly into the kitchen and his shoulders relaxed as he saw Theo closing the door and swinging his backpack onto a hook. The 8 year old shuffled forward and immediately moved towards Klaus. 

“Hi Mom.”

“Afternoon, apple of my eye.”

Klaus hugged him and kissed his head. He never missed a homecoming, he knew soon Theo would grow out of wanting hugs from his father but luckily today was not that day. 

“I’m doing your sister’s hair, you wanna tell me about your day?”

“I’m gonna get a drink first - You won’t believe what Miss Miller made us do today.” He lamented rolling his head back dramatically. 

“Tough day at the office, huh? Meet us in the bathroom when you’re done.”

A few minutes later Theo joined them, holding a cup of juice. 

“Theo!” Daisy announced and hugged him as he moved past them to sit on the edge of the bathtub. 

“So regale us, we’ve been stuck inside all day. What have you got?”

Klaus finished working through Daisy’s gorgeous hair while Theo dramatically recounted the day's events and the drama of second graders. He was a natural born comedian, Klaus often thought, already he added enough flare to keep everyone interested and laughing at his stories. Daisy bantered with him, adding her two cents at every chance she could. 

Their relationship reminded him a lot of his relationship with Diego, when they were very small, of course. Much like Diego, Theo took up big brother responsibility like a champ and the role was as serious as a heart attack to him. 

When they accidentally ended up with a new baby girl, Klaus was dealing with the aftermath of Theo starting school and no longer was he attached to his father’s hip. He was out there in the big bad world of public schooling, with other germy kids, and possible bullies , and cheap food. 

Dave, always the realist, had stated bluntly as they dropped their son off to his first day of school “Oh he’s going to be fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”

“Shut up!” Klaus had retorted childishly, through sobs. 

Then in his deepest parental despairs Daisy had arrived like an angel from heaven. She had no one. She needed a family and Klaus desperately wanted another baby to hold. Plus, the commission never showed up, they just left them alone so why shouldn’t they let their family expand?

Klaus finished Daisy’s hair for the evening and gave her a quick snuggle. He was glad he was feeling well enough to enjoy this, it was his favorite time of the day, truly.

A moment of clarity often hit him and he had long ago realized that , yes, it was strange that Reginald didn’t care for his children or want to get to know them and it certainly wasn’t natural. He tried not to think of him but being a parent highlighted even more fucked up things that old Reggie had forced his children to endure. 

If you had told crack whore Klaus all those years ago that perfection would be hearing that Mr. Miller the P.E teacher for 2nd graders had forced his class to do 5 extra laps for being too loud while doing his daughter's hair, he would have said you were nuts, then probably would have asked if you had any drugs. 

“Can we have dinner now?” Daisy groaned. 

“That sounds wonderful, you guys know how to make meatloaf, right?”

“Mom!” The little girl whined. 

“Yes, yes, I will feed you. Have I ever let you starve?”

“I don’t like meat loaf.” Theo stated. 

“Since when?” 

Theo followed them into the kitchen and hopped up on a kitchen chair.

“Since the last time we had it.”

“Look, kid, ya gotta work with me here. Your mom can only make like 3 things. We can just add more ketchup.”

“Bleh.”

So perfection was also a lot more argumentative than he could have ever imagined. He could work with that.


	5. Lucy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus finally meets his match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So I don't know why this chapter ended up so long but I hope it's worth it anyway!

Klaus didn’t often think that he could ever relate to the man he was before Nam and then all the crazy wonderful shit that happened in his life afterwards but he had to admit, waking up at the ass crack of dawn and trudging into this diner to start another work day reminded him of why he decided to suck dick for a living rather than carry on a steady job. 

Working at the 24 hour diner wasn’t the worst job in the world; The owner left him alone most of the time and he enjoyed working with the customers. It was strange to him that he ended up behind the grill since he lacked any cooking skills but he found most things set up and he didn’t have to make any culinary decisions on his own. Also, the old owner let Klaus have Daisy in the breakroom which is truly what sealed the deal. 

This time of the morning, before the sun truly came up, he was just watching an empty store. He padded around the kitchen getting things ready, bored out of his mind since it would be another hour before Dave would drop off the baby and head to his own job at the station. 

So he was a little apprehensive when the front door jingled and he heard slow footsteps make their way to the bar. He grabbed his notepad and walked out.   
Climbing up onto one of the barstools was a small Asian woman who looked like she was 110 years old. She grimaced and smacked her bag down on the seat next to her. He cheered to himself, old ladies loved him and usually gave him the best tips. 

“Good morning!” He sang and leaned over the table. 

She glared at him. “Coffee. Black.”

“Okay...”

“Two eggs over easy. Two slices of bacon, crunchy and one slice of wheat toast. And make sure to give the senior discount.”

He scribbled down the order. “Senior discount? I don’t know, young lady, I’m going to need to see some ID.” He winked and flashed his most charming smile. 

She inspected him past wrinkled eyes and scoffed “Being cute won’t get you a bigger tip, buttercup.”

He turned around and shook his head. That line always worked on the old ladies. He cooked up her order while she mumbled angrily at a sudoku puzzle in the paper. He placed the plate down in front of her and she mumbled a gruff ‘Thanks’ and then promptly didn’t eat anything. She just continued with her puzzle and it was ten minutes later when she took her first bite of egg. 

Klaus resisted the urge to make conversation which truly made his head want to explode. And it blew his mind that when Dave finally arrived in the dining room with Daisy on his hip, she had only finished one egg, one bite of bacon, and two bites of toast. 

Dave skirted around her, it was usually empty at this time in the morning and they could talk freely. 

“There’s my baby!” Klaus rounded the counter and pulled Daisy from his arms. She had a definite pout this morning and didn’t respond when he kissed her face a few times. 

“She was not happy to be woken up this morning.” Dave clarified. 

“Same here. She’ll probably just fall back asleep.” He took her to the breakroom and laid her down in the makeshift pen / bed they had set up and then met Dave in the dining room. He was standing awkwardly in the middle of the floor with his hands in his pockets casting nervous glances at the grumpy old woman. 

Klaus moved to Dave and leaned in, “Was Theo okay this morning?” 

They spoke as softly as they could like they always had to do in public when talking about their lives. 

“He’s fine. I saw he’s making some friends in his class so he let go of me first when I dropped him off.”

“Ouch.”

Dave glanced back at the old woman, “Hey, do you need some cash?”

When they first got together and started this new life Klaus had made it very clear that he didn’t want full access to their money. He left all finances to Dave. This wasn’t something his partner was comfortable with, said it seemed ‘controlling and creepy’ but Klaus insisted that he didn’t trust himself with cash- He didn’t want to relapse but he also didn’t want to tempt fate. So Dave begrudgingly agreed to handle their money. 

“No, I should be good, I’ll probably get some tips anyway if I need something.”

“Okay. Um- have a good day.”

Klaus nodded Ridgely “Yeah- you too, be careful.”

“Oh my god, quit it with the whispering. Just kiss and move the hell on!” The old woman said obnoxiously loud from the counter. Then she mumbled to herself “Can’t focus..”

“Uh- Ma’am, we’re cousins.” Dave countered, red creeping up his cheeks. 

“That’s gross.” Is all she said.

Dave and Klaus looked at each other and then at the old crone. 

She added matter-of-factly before either of them could respond “I’ve eaten my fair share of pussies back in my day. I know what’s going on.” 

To her credit, this made both men relax slightly. Dave still seemed apprehensive but Klaus couldn’t help but grin and move back to the counter in front of his troubled customer. He leaned over and pouted “Okay, so we’re not cousins.”

“Thank god.” She spouted, then something they couldn’t hear. Then “Alabama freaks.”

Klaus’ eyes lit up. 

“You know, I think I’m in love with you.”

She took a sip of her coffee, still not looking up from her puzzle “You couldn’t handle me, fag.”

Klaus gasped, “You need to watch your mouth, grandma. You keep it flapping like that and a dust bunny is going to fall out, you old bag.”

“If dust comes out of my mouth it’s because of this dry ass toast you fed me. Are you trying to kill me?”

“I don’t need to ‘try. I can just wait 15 minutes.”

At this she glanced up from her puzzle and for the briefest of moments a grin flashed across her face. He winked at Dave whose mouth was hanging open at this exchange. 

“Okay, I guess I’ll leave you two to it.”

He left and Klaus looked the woman over, “You got anything else to complain about?”

“This bacon is shit.”

“Well, you eat so slow it just re-froze in the air conditioning.” But he took the plate and heated it up anyway.

She finished her meal as soon as the first car appeared in the parking lot and a family came in for breakfast. She left a 100$ tip.

*********************************************

The old bat, as Klaus fondly called her, was actually named Lucy. She didn’t get any sweeter or softer the more he got to know her but he did grow to adore her. She came into the diner every Tuesday and Thursday at the exact same time, ordered the exact same thing, and complained about the exact same shit. 

He looked forward to seeing her and engaging in the no holds barred drag fest that they engaged in. Nothing was off limits as they roasted each other to shreds. 

She lived three houses down from them, which was a surprise to Klaus since he felt that he knew everybody in the neighborhood. He often walked over when Dave had the kids and brought her food or helped her with basic chores. She would call him a kiss ass and prod that Dave was 10x a better cook so why wasn’t he working in the kitchen instead of Klaus but she would take the food nonetheless and return the container promptly the next morning. 

They would chat and bitch about their lives - Klaus found out soon enough that there was a reason she was a stone cold who could never have eased gracefully into old age. She had seen too much, fought too much, and lived through just too much traffic to have any softness left in her old bones. 

He would roam around her house and ask questions about her old pictures and trinkets and she would regale him with personal tales. 

One day he picked up a framed photo of a young woman and inspected it. “This you?”

She was fussing with a closet she had decided to clean out and snapped her head back in agitation “My sister.”

He nodded and stared closely at the old ghost that sat in the rocking chair at the edge of the room. Despite the ghost’s advanced age, if he looked close enough he could see a resemblance.

“You must miss her.”

“Ah, she was a raging bitch - Always had to be the best at everything.”

The ghost in the corner rolled her eyes. 

Klaus smiled, “Yeah, I know someone like that.” Then he continued, noting the appearance of the same young woman at varying stages of her life throughout the room in photographs “If she was such a bitch why do you keep all these photos of her?”

Lucy paused, her back still to Klaus as she hunched over a box, “Cause not a minute goes by that I don’t miss her like hell.”

Something in Klaus’ chest constricted and his thoughts flashed to his own dumbass siblings, a million miles away in the future. 

“I’m still here, dumbass.” The ghost in the corner spoke. 

‘She says she’s ‘still here, dumbass.’” He repeated. He didn’t know why. 

Lucy stopped for several moments then with a sharp ‘humph’ continued working. 

Her sister flipped her off - a sense of vague frustration and love that reminded Klaus of Ben trailing behind him while he actively lived to kill his own body. 

Later that night when Dave and Klaus were in bed he turned over to face his partner “Hey, Dave?”

“Yeah, angel?”

Klaus sighed, “I’m going to tell you something and it’s going to sound crazy considering all the shit that happened and I know it’s not something I can do anything about but I just want to say--”

He paused. Dave put his book down and watched him curiously. 

“I’m happy. But some days- some days I miss my family so much I can hardly stand it. Not dad. But everyone else. I miss Vanya and I hate that I never apologized to her for how we treated her. When she wrote that book it killed me to see how she saw me but I knew she was right. She was so kind and talented. And when I look at Theo and Daisy I just-”

“I miss Luther - I think he hated me but I can’t forget the pride I felt as a child looking up to him as our future leader. I wished I was more like him for the longest time.”

“I miss Alli, my big sister - I was so bitter about her. I felt like she abandoned me but I see now that she was just trying to escape like everyone else. You know, she was the first person I told that I liked boys. She knew exactly what to say. Underneath that ‘perfect’ exterior she was the person I admired most, the one who was excited about who I was.”

“I got to see five before I time jumped - what an old man- truly not all that different from what he was like as a kid.” Klaus laughed “So serious. But I always felt like he had my back, anyway. If something was wrong he would find a way to fix it, to save the day.”

“Oh and Diego! The biggest badass of them all, he was the only one who looked at me like he was trying to understand me. Like no matter what I did or how angry he got at me, he would still love me and put up with me. He was such a sweet, sweet kid then dad just pushed him too far… Then there was the whole ‘Assigned Female at birth’ thing- alone I could see his heart but with the family he always felt the need to fight for control. To be the leader. Something dad made clear he would never be. He put up with so much.”

Klaus stopped and closed his eyes. 

“And Ben?” Dave prompted softly.

“My guardian angel.” He couldn’t say anymore without breaking down entirely. 

“That’s not crazy, Klaus. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have to leave your family- even if they’re assholes sometimes.”

“Who am I kidding, they were assholes all the time... But so was I.”

They went silent for several moments when Klaus slipped back under the covers with a grunt “I just needed to say that.”

“I bet your brothers and sisters would be so proud if they could see you now.”

Klaus chuckled dryly. “That would be something, wouldn’t it?”

*********************************************************

It was a year later when Klaus strolled into Lucy’s house with a container of casserole and came face to face with her corpse. Laying peacefully in her favorite chair, eyes closed with a playboy magazine in her lap. 

Klaus gasped and dropped the food. It crashed against the floor and spilled everywhere. “Oh no…”

“Oh don’t act like you haven’t seen a dead body before - I know you were in the war, pretty boy.”

Klaus froze and turned around slowly. Lucy was standing behind him with her arms crossed definitely over her chest, her sister was standing behind her protectively.

“Lucy?”

“Look, I left everything to your brats. I don’t have any family. Do whatever you want with it all, I don’t care. Maybe leave your job at the diner, you were shit at it anyway.”

“Lucy.”

“Don’t get sentimental with me - it’s disgusting. And don’t get all weepy about this - I’m ready to move on. I’ve been on this piece of shit earth long enough.”

All Klaus could do was stand and watch as they lit up in a brilliant white light and began to drift upwards. 

“Oh, and Klaus?”

“Yeah…”

“Just be proud of yourself. Stop waiting around for other people to be proud of you. Only you know what you’ve overcome.”

Klaus nodded letting the words wash over him. 

They began to float upwards again and he called out with a smirk. “Hey, I think you’re going the wrong way!” he pointed to the ground.

“Fuck off!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucy is based off a real woman I met when I worked as a waiter, not someone that's easily forgotten that's for sure.   
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Ruth and Frank

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus has truly lived through some shit. He's seen it all. But nothing in his life has prepared him to meet his boyfriend's parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had originally intended for these to be in chronological order but I didn't plan that far ahead so just a quick note; This one takes place just a few months after Klaus, Dave, and Theo escape from the war.

“Dave, look, you don’t need to bring me along. It won’t hurt my feelings if you just took Theo to meet them, I promise!”

They had literally just stepped outside their front door when Klaus stopped and pulled on Dave’s shirt. He was mostly healed from the head wound and was able to walk and function again. And even though he was alarmingly thin due to the fact that keeping food down had been damn near impossible with the hole in his head and the fact that he never went anywhere without a sun hat or bandana to cover up the scar, he was desperate to get back into life with his new family. But he was quickly losing his nerve with this outing. 

“What? No, they’re excited to meet you!” Dave searched his face looking for a clue “Are you - scared to meet them?”

“Well, are they even okay with…” He gestured between them “This? I know you said they were excited about Theo but I don’t want to be a rift with your parents.”

He didn’t say that the idea of meeting Dave’s mom and dad had been a literal nightmare for him. Deep rooted insecurities and feelings of inadequacy shook him to his core. Dave was a good man and he assumed that the people who raised him would also be good but Klaus was different from them. He wasn’t grown in love or support and he didn’t have Dave’s positive views on family. 

“I mean. It’s not something we’ve talked about but, look, my oldest sister has been living with her long term “roommate” Alyssa for 8 years and she has always been welcome in their home.”

Klaus stared at him, attempting to hide the terror and anxiety alarms that were blaring in his head. 

“Of course you don’t have to go if you don’t want to but I don’t want you to think that I’m ashamed of you. I get that we have to be careful but I trust my parents and I’m…” He chose his next words carefully, “so excited to let them meet the man that I love.”

Klaus whined. Why did Dave have to be so sweet? It was making it really hard to fall back on his emotionally constipated ways. And without those walls he had nothing to protect himself. 

“Shiiit.. Okay, okay, yeah.” Klaus inhaled deeply “As long as I won’t embarrass you…”

Dave smiled solemnly at him, “I would never be embarrassed by you, Angel. Plus, you haven’t met my mother yet, you’re going to have to work a lot harder if you’re going to beat her embarrassment streak.”

******************************************

As they moved up the walkway to the quaint little farmhouse Klaus felt like he was going to vomit. It was foreign to him to feel this self conscience. Suddenly he was worried about hiding his tattooed palms and he felt like his clothes didn’t fit his body right. Is this how everyone felt meeting their partner’s parents? If so, this was a hellish joke on relationships. He held onto Theo like a life raft against his chest.

Dave grinned at him and then knocked on the door. In a split second the door was ripped open and portly woman stood inside with her face frozen in a gasp of delight. 

“David!” She forcefully pulled Dave into a vice like hug “David, I’m so happy you’re home.” She was crying as she pulled his face away from her chest and kissed his forehead multiple times before heaving him back into her bosom. He held onto her tightly in return. “I’ve been so worried. I’ve been so worried.” She kept repeating like a prayer. 

He was finally freed and he gestured to Klaus standing like a statue in the doorway, his normal easy going charm gone. Replaced with someone who looked like a deer in the headlights and was having flashbacks of being a scrawny 16 kid. 

“Ma, this is Klaus and this is Theo.”

“Oh my god!” She cried and suddenly he was pulled into a vortex of warmth. No customary greetings she hugged him like she had known him her entire life.

“Hi.”

“Oh you’re so skinny- Sweetheart.” Before he could respond she whipped her head back and yelled into the house “Frank! David and Klaus are here!”

She covered her mouth with her hands and took The séance and his baby in, “Oh- Oh, can I?”

Klaus smiled shyly and begrudgingly handed Theo over to Ruth. She cradled him close and stepped away, rocking him expertly “Oh, David, he’s perfect.”

“He is.” Dave agreed and pulled a steadying arm around Klaus. 

Ruth was busy kissing every inch of Theo’s face - The baby stayed quiet with wide eyes, obviously star struck by the sheer brutal wave of grandmother love that was hitting him. 

“Your father has been fiddling with that Damn truck for the past week- I keep telling him to just take it to the shop.” She walked off with the baby “Frank! Frank, I swear to god!”

Dave laughed when they heard a faint “What!?” Coming from the distance. 

She poked her head out a door coming off the kitchen “I said, Dave and Klaus are here with the baby!” She snapped.

A moment later a man came into the kitchen, he was a rough looking farmer type that had obviously lived a honest hard working life. When he saw his son his entire demeanor changed “Dave…”

“Dad.” 

Dave fell into a desperate hug with his father and clung onto him like a child. There was a brief moment where Klaus felt he didn’t belong here but also, that this was obviously the man he wanted to raise a child with. 

“Welcome home, son.” He inspected Dave’s face and gave him a rough kiss on the cheek. Then the farmer turned his attention to Klaus who had been trying to blend in with the wall. 

“Dad, this is Klaus.”

He moved forward and reached out his hand, Klaus took it and tried not to have the handshake strength of a 12 year old. 

“Nice to meet you, Klaus.”

He nodded “You as well, sir.” He did his best Luther impression and hoped that would do it. 

Klaus was saved from this stand off by Ruth who called from another room “Come in here, we can talk!” They followed her voice to a cozy living room that came straight out of the 40s. She was placing a tray of food and coffee on the table, Theo still held tightly to her hip. She was baby talking to him as she worked. 

Frank clapped Dave on the back “You didn’t want that baby back, did you?” They laughed and Dave broke away to sit next to Klaus on the couch. 

“Stop hogging the boy, Ruth. Let me see him.” Frank teased. 

“I told you what time they were going to be over, it’s not my fault you forgot and I got the baby first.” She retorted, but she begrudgingly handed Theo over to the old man who sat him up on his lap and studied him closely.

“Hey kid.” He said softly. He looked at Dave “Happy baby.” He commented simply. 

“Now, Klaus, you eat anything you want, okay?” Ruth was pulling muffins, and scones and cookies onto a plate “But try this first, I think you’ll like it.” She handed him a plate piled high with snacks.

“You’re gonna make the boy sick, Ruth. It’s only two hours until dinner.”

“He’s ten pounds soaking wet, Frank.” She chided and moved around handing out coffee to everyone. Then promptly stole Theo back from his grandfather who just shook his head and waved at the baby. 

Dave leaned over “You don’t have to eat all that.”

“When did you guys get back in the states?” Frank began the conversation. 

“About three months ago. I wanted to come see you sooner but we were just trying to get settled and Klaus was injured so we’ve just been laying low.”

Dave and Frank kept the conversation going about Vietnam, Klaus’ injury, and just general happenings in their life. Klaus nibbled at his plate, feeling the pressure to finish it. He wasn’t used to feeling shy and maybe he was just still a little weak from the head wound but he found himself drifting off, watching Theo as Ruth played with him. She seemed to notice this eventually and moved from her chair to sit next to Klaus. 

She placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. The smile reminded him of Grace only a little less robotic. “Do you have any family, Klaus?”

Theo reached for him and he held his hand for a moment “I have 4 brothers and 2 sisters.”

“They must be so proud of you. You know, Dave has 5 sisters? At least you had a fighting chance.” She laughed “Dave was my fourth baby and everyone’s favorite living baby doll.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh my god, yes. They used to dress him up constantly - I have got the cutest pictures of him after they got done with him. Has he ever shown you those photos?” 

Klaus shook his head and glanced over at Dave, “No, no, he hasn’t shown me any pictures like that.”

Her face lit up “Would you like to see them? I’ve got the album right over there.” She pointed to a bookcase. 

“There’s nothing I’ve ever wanted more in my life.”

“I thought you might!” She finally gave Theo back to Klaus and he immediately relaxed having the baby back in his arms. 

She came back with a stuffed photo album and began flipping through. 

“Oh, come on, I thought I got rid of those pictures!” Dave protested. 

“Phhs, that’s what you thought.”

She guided Klaus through Dave’s early life, showing him his earliest baby photos and the ones depicting him as a confused infant decked out in doll clothes and hats that were much too big for his head. Around him his sisters were laughing and grinning proudly at their work. Birthday photos with a happy toddler in front of a big cake with 4 candles on it. One of Dave in little overalls and a cowboy hat holding a newborn, presumably his younger sister. 

Klaus knew that they had reached the good stuff when she turned the page and Dave groaned loudly. Oh yes, teenage Dave, from awkward school photos with stiff smiles and shaggy hair to prom photos in ill fitting suits and shoes that looked too big on him. Ruth rattled on about his accomplishments and a few stories where Dave volunteered to take Theo and change his diaper so he didn’t have to hear them. 

He was so disappointed when dinner was ready and Ruth had to put the photo album away - such a treasure trove of teenage angst and awkwardness. 

They all stood up to go into the kitchen but Frank looked pointedly at Klaus. 

“Klaus, you mind if I talk to you over here for a second?”

What was he going to say? No? He noticed Dave give his father a sharp glance but he walked past him and into the kitchen. He nodded and let the old man lead him off to the side into a hallway. It was darker over here and Klaus had the feeling he was about to be threatened. 

“Look, I spoke with Dave a few days ago and he told me some things.”

Klaus’ stomach dropped and his heart sped up. Dave had told him that his parents didn’t talk about the ‘gay’ thing. Why had he lied? Just to trap him here in a hell conversation?

“He said you saved his life.” Frank’s voice was low and deathly serious. ”You’re the reason my son came home.” 

Oh. _Oh._

__“And I hope this doesn’t betray any trust you’ve got with my boy but he also said you were trying to get your life back together. Trying to remove yourself from old ‘habits’. I just want you to know that it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, you'll always be family here. An’ I’ll never stop being grateful. Some poor soldier never came to our door to tell my wife that her baby was dead and I have you to thank for that.” He swallowed loudly and cleared his throat “An’ look, I don’t know what you believe and I’m not trying to convert you or nothing but I wanted to give you this--” He pulled a necklace with the star of David and placed it in Klaus’ hands “Just a reminder that you’ve always got a home here with my family.”_ _

__Klaus’ entire body was shaking as he pulled the necklace over his head and let it hang against his chest with Dave’s dog tags. He said nothing but his fear and anxiety disappeared as Frank opened his arms and let Klaus melt into his body. He heard the old man shudder lightly against his shoulder._ _

__He pulled away and clapped the younger man’s shoulder with a smile “Now, Ruth’s gonna kill me if I keep you away from food for any longer.”_ _

__As they sat down at the dinner table Dave eyed the star against Klaus’ chest and he reached under the table and gave his hand an encouraging squeeze._ _

__Klaus’ insecurities and anxieties about the day melted away as dinner progressed and by the time they got back home he was filled with a new determination - to make sure that Theo’s life was filled with as much love and laughter as Dave’s had been and now he had a shining example of where to start._ _


	7. Lamar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus has to work to realize something that he never thought possible about his own abilities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little different from the rest as it moves through a much longer timeline but I hope that you enjoy it!

“Morning sunshine.” Dave shuffled into the foyer, spotting Klaus just now opening his eyes from the edge of the couch. He had been sitting criss cross applesauce but now his head was tilted back painfully and his arms were spread to the sides. 

“Ngh.”

Klaus shot his head up and the burst of pain from his neck made him instantly regret it.

“Damn it! I fell asleep again.” He bemoaned.

Meditation. Meditation. Meditation. That’s what he had learned to do in order to keep the ghosts at bay, to keep them cleared from his home. Unfortunately, meditation is not an artform learned overnight and he did have a two - almost three year old so in his defense sometimes when he closed his eyes his body just shut down. Enlightenment and betterment be damned. 

“You’ll get better at it.” Dave said absently while he shuffled a pile of envelopes.

Klaus rolled over to lay sideways on the couch against a pillow. He rubbed his aching neck. 

“Mail came.” Dave read through the pile silently “You know, we keep getting all these ads for colleges around here. Being a veteran I bet you could get a scholarship, maybe you should try out for some.” It was an offhand comment but his partner’s face twisted slightly when he said it. 

Klaus groaned and let his arm fall off the edge of the couch dramatically, “Don’t be rude.” He snapped. 

Dave paused what he was doing and gawked at his partner, “What?”

Klaus sat up and rolled his shoulders with a grunt, “I said, don’t be rude. I’ve got other wiles about me.” Then he added in a lighter tone, “Who needs brains when you’ve got this figure.”

It had been an offhand remark but Dave turned to face him now, setting the mail on the table “That wasn’t a joke.”

Klaus scoffed then at the look on his partner’s face sat back, “Oh, okay. Well, then…”

“Look, I’m just saying, if you wanted to go to college that’s something we could make happen.”

“Okay” He was suddenly put off guard. 

Dave was inspecting him closely like he did when he was worried about him, like he did after night terrors or when he is struggling to control the spirits and gets confused. “You’re not stupid, Klaus.” He left it at that and walked off into the kitchen. 

Klaus sat there for several moments, his head reeling from what was just said. He got up and moved to the little in table where Dave had the mail piled and picked up the first piece. An envelope from some college called “Lamar University.” He flipped it over and read through some of the information. Including the bullet points stating in proud block letters that scholarships were available for interested veterans. 

He sighed. 

“Oh, what the hell…”

*****************************************

Klaus sat at the kitchen table with his knees to his chest, he was tapping a pen lightly against the wood and reading through a form. Theo was sitting next to him scribbling away with a red crayon on construction paper. 

Klaus began to chew on the end of the pen. 

“What do you think is my best skill set?”

The toddler thought about it, his little face scrunching up in effort, “You’re good at cooking.” He tried. 

“Hmm.. Thanks baby, but I don’t think that’s what they’re looking for.” Klaus loved the fact that babies couldn’t tell yet that boiling a hot dog did not make you the best chef in the world. 

“Dancing… Telling stories… Shopping…” 

Klaus nodded along as his son rambled through a list of things that made him kinda cool to a toddler but maybe weren’t what a college was looking for in an applicant. 

“You’re good at helping after- after bad dreams.” Theo tried again. 

Klaus thought about that for a moment then picked up the brochure and read through the departments list again. 

“Hmm.. I might be able to spin that.”

*****************************************

“Mail came!” Dave called as he walked back into the house. 

There was a particular tone to his voice that Klaus clocked immediately. He was having a little impromptu dance party with Theo on the rug when Dave came into the room. He lifted up an envelope. 

“You got something from Lamar University.” He was grinning.

He held it out to his partner, lifting it high enough that the toddler wouldn’t be able to grab it first. 

“Well, I don’t want to open it! You open it!”

“Angel, you’re the one who applied. You open it. It doesn't matter what it says - we’re very proud of you, right Theo?”

“Right!” He reached high trying to grab the paper. 

Klaus groaned and stood up. He snatched the envelope out of Dave’s hand and perched on the edge of the couch. “Don’t get your hopes up.” He sliced it open and began to read. 

Theo bounced on the edge of the couch, holding on to his father’s knee. He didn’t understand what was going on but he mirrored the way his Pops stared at Klaus in anticipation. 

Klaus’ face didn’t change expression at all as he skimmed the letter. He looked up at Dave and in the softest voice said “I got accepted.”

Dave all but dropped to the floor, he clapped his hands together “Hot damn! I knew it! I knew you were gonna get in!” He tumbled onto the couch and pulled Klaus into a celebratory hug. At his father’s reaction Theo began yelling excitedly and running around the couch. 

Klaus’ expression didn’t change from one of plain shock, even as he was squished against Dave’s chest. 

“I got accepted…”

“YOU GOT ACCEPTED!” Dave cheered

He held Klaus out at arms length “You did it, we’re so proud of you.”

A hesitant smile crept across the seance’s face as he repeated “I got accepted!”

Dave cackled and lifted Theo up between them “We are celebrating tonight! Whatever, you want to do, baby!”

The ice began to melt as it finally hit Klaus and he started hopping up and down with Theo. He was laughing as he pulled the toddler up to his feet and began dancing with him. “I did it!” 

“You did it!” Theo echoed

They celebrated the rest of the day. At Klaus’ request Dave just went and bought dinner and brought it home. He didn’t want to worry about having to be careful in public, especially since it was hard enough not to grab Dave periodically throughout the day and kiss him. 

After they got Theo to sleep Dave and Klaus sat on the edge of the bed together. Klaus was staring blankly at the wall, the excitement and adrenaline wearing off. He bumped into Dave “I just realized that I don’t have a way to get there and I haven’t started applying for scholarships.” He smiled tiredly. “But to be fair, I didn’t think I would get this far.”

“Hey, you got in. We’ll figure everything else out from here. You can start applying for scholarships tomorrow and if you’re not comfortable driving my dad already offered to drive you there.”

“Oh god, I just realized that this is gonna be a lot of work!” Klaus whined and fell backwards on the bed.

*****************************************

It wasn’t just college that filled their days for the next few years, Klaus was working part time at the diner and two years later they adopted Daisy. It was in the final stretch of a 4 year degree in psychology for counseling and special populations that Dave trudged into his bedroom late into the evening to find a moment he would remember for the rest of his life. 

He found Klaus sitting in the flower pattern recliner in the corner of their room with the leg rest up. In one arm he had Theo and in the other arm he had Daisy, both children were fast asleep with their heads resting on his chest. Between them was a textbook and a notepad, Klaus was squinting to read while carefully taking notes with his other hand. He flipped to the next page and continued writing. His neck was craned over trying to see the words. 

Dave walked away and grabbed a disposable camera from the kitchen drawer, he came back in as quietly as he could and snapped a photo of the intimate scene in front of him. 

At the sound of the click Klaus looked up and let his head lull back against the cushion, “Hm, I need a few more arms..” He mumbled softly. 

Dave smiled, “You want some help?” Gestured to the sleeping children. 

Klaus shrugged, “It’s okay, I can’t feel anything from my neck down.”

Dave pulled Theo up first, the 6 year old stirred but immediately fell asleep against his shoulder. Klaus sighed as the weight was lifted from his right side. Dave came back for the baby and settled her into her crib. 

When he came back Klaus had shifted upright but the textbook was still in his lap and he was writing furiously. 

“You wanna come to bed?” Dave tried. 

Klaus shook his head, “Sorry, love, I’m so close - I’m not going to let you guys down.”

Dave knew that he had been struggling in this particular class. That his grades had slipped and come back up twice already and he knew that look in his partner’s eye when he became obsessed with something. 

“You got this, Angel.”

*****************************************

“Klaus Katz.” 

The announcer called and Klaus walked across the stage and received his masters degree in Psychology, specializing in trauma recovery. He grinned as he shook the head master’s hand and walked down the steps to his seat for the rest of the ceremony. He shifted in his seat to look behind him, Daisy and Theo were staring at him. He waved at them and they waved furiously back. Daisy tried to wriggle out of Dave’s grasp but he held her firm and at noticing that he was being watched winked at his partner. 

Klaus struggled the longer the ceremony went on and when they finally finished he wasted no time in wondering away from his classmates. He was nearly bowled over by Theo and Daisy and he pulled them into a hug.

“Congratulations mom!” Theo was the first one to speak. 

He pulled Theo into his chest and picked up Daisy who wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Hold still!”

He glanced around to find Ruth with a camera pointed at them, he tried not to close his eyes when the flash blinded him. 

“Dave, get in there.” Ruth ordered. 

“No, no, this is all about Klaus.” He protested. 

“David, come here.” He used his diploma hand to tug his partner to his side. They posed a few more times and as he turned to face Dave it took every ounce of his self control not to kiss him in the middle of the crowd. 

For the rest of the evening it was pure heaven in Klaus’ opinion. The Katz family was not messing around when it came to celebration and they met at Ruth and Franks house only to be met with Dave sisters and their families. He might have felt a little self conscious that they put all of this together to celebrate his graduation but he reminded himself that the Katz family didn’t need much of an excuse to barbeque. 

It was an eternity later that they were back at their house and after losing many battles they finally won the war and got the kids to sleep. Klaus walked into their bedroom with Dave at his heels and as soon as the door was shut he turned around and pushed him against the wall.

Dave laughed as Klaus began to kiss him desperately. He pulled him flush against his body and they melted together in bliss for several minutes. 

Dave groaned as Klaus pulled away and stared at him with big green eyes, “I’ve got one last thing to do today and then I’m going to come home and I’m gonna climb you like a tree, soldier.”

Dave whined as Klaus took a step back, “Okay, fine, but you better hurry.”

“Patience is a virtue!” Klaus sang as he left his partner panting against the wall. 

Klaus wanted to be home, he was exhausted emotionally from the day but he had something pulling on his soul. He took Dave’s truck. He still very rarely drove anywhere, an old habit from when he was constantly high. It had been something he promised Diego and it was one of the few promises to his brother that he never broke. He didn’t have a license but where he was going he would be on dusty backroads the whole way. He made his way deeper into the country and parked when he found the perfect spot. 

A clearing in the woods revealed a cliff, overhanging towards the horizon. Beneath the edge a 150 ft drop to a small stretch of land being chipped away at by the soft waves of the muddy lake. 

The sun was setting rapidly and he pulled his shoes off and made his way to the edge of the cliff. He gripped his graduation cap in his right hand as he stared off into the sky. Without warning he angrily threw the cap out into the air where it fell into the lake with a gentle underwhelming splash. He raised both of his hands and double flipped off the sky. 

“Fuck you, you old bastard!” He screamed into the horizon. Then he added softly “You don’t know anything about me.”

He wiped the tears that tumbled out of his eyes and inhaled the fresh breeze as it rolled over him from the water. He took a step forward off the cliff and levitated slowly down to the beach. He raised his hand and the graduation cap raised from the water and shot back into “HELLO”. 

“You were wrong.” He said softly. 

He turned and drifted up to the top of the cliff. There would be no more time spent that evening dwelling on his father, he would make sure of that.


	8. Ben

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Third Times the charm!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! SO this one is a lot more plot than the rest but I'm just trying to move it forward but there's still some fluff in there as well. I hope you enjoy!

“Oh, sweetie, don’t cry..” Klaus gently bounced the baby in his arms and kissed his head. He peeked up at Dave, who was still in his fire fighting gear just without the helmet. “Oh, he’s so sweet..”

“Do you think we’re getting a little too old for this?” He asked, smiling fondly at the child in his partner’s arms.

“Dave, we were too old for this when we had Theo.” He shifted the baby carefully in his arms, careful not to jostle the infant’s bandaged arm. “I mean, what’s the other option?”

Dave shook his head, “He’d go up for adoption or go into foster care. You know, we’re going to be almost 60 by the time he turns 18.” He closes his eyes and falls into the wall. He still has soot and dirt covering his skin and his hair is thick with smoke remains. It’s been a rough night. 

Klaus sat down next to Dave and held the baby to his chest, “Oh god, we’re getting so old. Look, baby, if this is too much we can find other ways to help him, maybe have a say in who he goes to so he doesn’t bounce around from home to home.”

“I know that but, hell, I wouldn’t have dragged you to the hospital at 3 in the morning if I didn’t already love the kid.” He shifted to lean against Klaus. “We went to ‘Nam, right? I mean, we can handle another kid, probably.”

Klaus continued to comfort the newly orphaned infant, “Can we name him Ben?”

“Yeah, I like that name.”

************************************

“I will see you next week; You’re doing fabulously, Lorrie.” Klaus opened the door and escorted his last client for the day out of his office. She wiped a few tears away and thanked him. 

“Do you need any help locking up?” The secretary asked, rolling backwards in her desk chair and stuffing her makeup into her purse. 

“Well, if you must leave me, I guess not.” She laughed him off and waved as she walked out the front door. 

Klaus began to lock up for the weekend, checking the doors of his little office at the edge of town. He was quite proud of his little establishment, it was a little stuffy for his tastes. He would have preferred a few more fairy lights and maybe some incense just to warm the place up but he did the best he could with what he had. He flicked off the lights and stepped into the afternoon heat. 

His face lit up as he saw Ruth’s car sitting outside on the curb. It was empty. 

“We’re over here.” The gruff voice came from behind him and he turned to see Frank sitting on their outdoor bench, he had a small ice cream cone in one hand and on his opposite knee their newest member of the family, little Ben who had just turned two. 

“There you are!” Klaus cooed and ran to greet them in the shade. Ben lifted his arms up and went “Gah!”

Frank let Klaus pick up the toddler and then promptly began to finish the ice cream. “Hi, beautiful! How was your day? Were you the best for grandma and grandpa?” Klaus cuddled him while Frank finished his treat. 

“He’s always good, you know that.”

It was true, Ben was surprising in so many ways, not only because they never expected to end up with another child but because he was just an angel baby by all accounts. Dave suggested that maybe they were just getting better at this whole parenting thing but Klaus quickly pointed out that if that were the case then Daisy would have been easier than Theo which was quite the opposite of the truth. No, Klaus figured that little Ben was just special. 

“Thank you, thank you for picking me up today! It’s hell out here!”

Frank chuckled and stood up, “I’d assume so in that getup.”

“It’s called fashion, thank you very much.”

“Whatever floats your boat.” 

They settled into Ruth’s old car, Klaus in the passenger seat and Ben in a car seat in the back and began to drive towards the schools. 

Klaus stared out the passenger side window; A new ghost had begun to follow them. He only singled him out because of the extreme extent of his injuries. His clothes were ripped apart and his face looked all but sliced off. Obviously his tongue had been ripped out and he screamed nonsense syllables at them as they drove away. He hadn’t seen a murder victim in that state since...

“You’re quiet today.” Frank interrupted his thoughts. 

“Oh… You know… Just thinking about my poor, poor garden out here in this heat.” He fibbed and drawled an accent to complete the effect. 

Frank pulled up to the edge of the middle school and Klaus glanced around into the groups of children. At the edge of the campus he saw another angrily screaming ghost, her head had been cut vertically and she was missing a few fingers. She was crawling through students moaning and trying to say something but her throat seemed to be crushed so he couldn’t make it out. 

He lurched when the backseat opened and Daisy flew inside and immediately buckled up the middle seat next to Ben. “Hi Grandpa!” She basically yelled in his ear. 

Theo was right behind her and he lugged his backpack in first before falling into the last empty seat. “Hi, grandpa!”

“Hey, kids.”

Klaus glanced over and that ghost had been joined by a few more - it set him on edge. She was staring at him like she wanted to tell him something but she clamped her jaw and just shot daggers into his body. 

“Jeez, I know I’m not grandpa but that just hurts my delicate feelings. I don’t even get a ‘hello’?”

“Hi mom!” They said in unison. 

“Hi teenager, hi second grader. How was your day?”

“It was good! We’re going to be making a volcano next week and I have to make mine the biggest! Can we get the stuff this weekend? I want to practice making the biggest explosion because if Darren wins another science project I’m gonna freak out! Also, I want to make mine the most colorful just to rub it in their faces but I don’t know if I should… Should it be hyper realistic? I don’t know what would get me the most points… But, I’m not worried, he just got lucky with that last one and I think the teacher likes him more because she’s friends with his mom which isn’t fair but it doesn’t matter, I’ll still make it better than he will, he just cheats all the time.” 

Klaus paused to make sure that she was finished, “That’s my girl! Take ‘em out!” Klaus glanced into the backseat. Daisy was kicking her legs and poking at Ben. Theo was staring blankly out the window, “What about you, Theo?”

He shrugged, “It was good.”

“Lovely.”

Frank pulled up to their house and turned around to face the kids “Now, you kids be good, alright?”

“We will!” Daisy hugged him and then practically climbed over Theo trying to get out of the car first. 

“I’ll lock the door!”

“No you won’t!” Daisy and Theo wrestled the handle until they both fell out at the same time. 

“Danke, Frank. Don’t work too hard.”

Klaus pulled Ben out of his seat and followed the kids up the walkway. He scanned the area. At the end of the street there were 5 more ghosts with similar brutal injuries, they weren’t coming towards them but they were meandering about and screaming intermittently into the air. There were four more coming from the other direction.  
One of them screamed out clearly “He cut off my skin! He cut out my eyes!”

“Are you okay, Mom?”

Theo and Daisy were standing at the door waiting for him. 

“I think so..”

He pulled out his keys and approached the door, his senses were already on alert after seeing all the particularly brutal corpses hovering around so maybe that’s how he noticed that the seal around the front door had been damaged. 

“Theo, take your brother and go back to the street. You too Daisy.” He handed the baby over to his oldest. 

“What? Why? What’s wrong?”

“Do as I say, go, go go, now.”

He tried to keep his voice as even as possible even though his hands were beginning to shake. He pressed on the front door and it swung open. The house was quiet and dark as if nothing was wrong, he picked up the baseball bat that Theo had left by the door and held it up as he turned the first corner. Nothing.

He summoned Sassy and the dog growled and stepped in front of him. They searched the house but it was empty of humans, ghosts on the other hand had flooded the rooms. Many of the same that he had seen throughout the ride home. When he had checked the whole house he rushed into their bedroom and pulled down the secret closet that Dave had installed and pulled out the three emergency bags hidden inside. 

One had weapons and tools, one had personal items, and one was the briefcase from all those years ago. 

“Pops!” He heard Daisy yell from outside and he looked out the window. Sure enough even though he wasn’t off until 4 hours later Dave was running up to the kids. They pointed to the house and Dave followed their direction. 

“Klaus! Somethings wrong.” Dave was standing in the front doorway. 

Klaus walked into the hallway with their bags “Yeah, no shit somethings wrong! I’ve--”

An explosion from the living room sent both men flying sideways into the wall. Klaus impacted the wall and then was pushed through it into the next room. His head slammed into a dresser and he felt an old familiar crack through his skull. It took him longer than he was proud of to get his bearings. He used some of his power to lift himself out of the debris but was tumbled forward as the blue light vanished and even Sassy disappeared past the veil. 

“DAVE!” He screamed. 

There was no reply but maybe he wasn’t as loud as he thought he had been. He pushed himself to his feet and grabbed onto the heaviest bag and began to push his way through the rubble. 

He cried with relief when Dave appeared and stumbled towards him. 

“Guns?”  
He opened the bag and handed it to his partner before taking one for himself and swinging the rest of the bag over his shoulder. 

His children were crying and he rushed forward in a blind panic. It was a full on ambush and three armed people in masks were walking towards the kids. When they saw the adults, however, they immediately began stalking towards them. 

Klaus used to worry that all the years past training and all the years past Nam had dulled their skills but with the added weapons and some hand to hand combat he and Dave were able to take out most of them pretty quickly. They still fought really well as a team. They had almost finished the group off when Klaus turned to see a man in a suit and a bunny mask pushing Theo down to the ground. The boy’s arms were empty as he hit the pavement. 

Dave lifted his gun at the masked man.

“He’s got Ben!” Klaus screamed and lunged at his partner moving his arm just in time to send the bullet off into the distance. Then he sprinted into the street where the man was calmly pulling out a briefcase. He held Ben in his free arm. 

Klaus grabbed onto his legs just as a flash of blue light sent him spiraling away. 

He opened his eyes just in time to see a boot stomp full force onto his chest. 

***********************************************************

Dave screamed as the mystery assassin disappeared holding his son with Klaus clinging onto his leg. He ran out to the spot where they vanished and fell to his knees. “Fuck!” 

He glanced around desperately, trying to pull himself together. There was nothing he could do, he had no idea where or when that man had taken half of his family. He groaned and took a deep breath before turning to his remaining family. 

Theo was staring wide eyed, frozen in shock and his body was trembling. Daisy was openly and loudly sobbing as she clung onto her brother’s waist. He stood up, “Are you guys okay?”

“Where did they go?” Theo demanded. 

“I don’t know - “ He checked them both over but didn’t find any severe injuries. “But we’ve got to go, do you understand me? I need you to do what I say, okay?” He couldn’t tell if he sounded the least bit confident or if they could tell he too was close to breaking down. 

He left them in the street and rushed into the house, grabbing the emergency bags and shoving some of their extra cash into his pockets as well. The children hadn’t moved from their place as he rejoined them. 

“Where’s mom?” Daisy sobbed “Benny…”

“We’re going to get them, right?” Theo urged. 

Dave knelt down in front of them and placed a hand on both their shoulders, “Listen, I don’t know where they were taken and there’s nothing we can do to help them. I need to get you guys someplace safe as soon as possible. Then maybe we can figure out something.”

“Is mom…?”

“Your mom can handle himself, okay? He’s a survivor and so is Ben. It’s going to be okay. Now take these.” He handed the two bags to the kids and pulled up the briefcase.  
“What’s happening? Where are we going?” 

“We’re going to your mom’s old house, that’s always been our plan B.”

It was lucky that it took him a moment to reconfigure the time machine because a moment later there was a crack and a flash of blue light. Then Klaus stepped out, gripping onto Ben. He looked a lot worse than when he had disappeared just minutes before and he stumbled forward, blood was pouring down his clothes and torso and Dave couldn’t tell how much of it was his own or a stranger’s. 

Dave dove forward just in time to catch them as Klaus collapsed onto the pavement. Klaus’ eyes were far away and he was mumbling “He’s okay.” Over and over again. 

Ben seemed to be uninjured but was screaming profusely, Dave didn’t blame him and honestly wished he could join him. 

Theo jumped in and pulled his baby brother away from his father, giving Dave better leverage to hold Klaus’ head up. 

“It’s gonna be okay. You’re going to be okay.” Dave didn’t know if he was talking to Klaus or reassuring himself. He held onto Klaus’ hand and pulled the children tightly against his side and in a flash of blue light they were transported away. 

**************************************************

When Klaus woke up the first thing that he noticed, besides the pain throughout his whole body, was an old familiar wall scrawled entirely with the inked ramblings of a distressed teenage boy with super powers. 

Then he turned his head and saw an even more familiar sight, leather jacket and hoodie, staring at him with his jaw hanging open in shock. 

“Oh,” Klaus whined, “Big Ben, I’ve missed you so much!”

"What the hell, Klaus..."

The seance grinned despite the pain "I'll give you a hint, Benny boy, there wasn't any money in the briefcase."


	9. Diego

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus finds himself between two worlds - the life he built and the life he came from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo- boy - this was a long one... Lots to fit in and lots of me projecting my emotions onto my favorite stabby boi . I hope that you enjoy!   
> Oh, and just for reference -  
> Theo - 13 years old   
> Daisy- 8 years old   
> Ben - 2 years old

“Two… Can you open the door?”

Little Four Hargreeves pressed himself against the bedroom door and peeked through the keyhole. The sounds of destruction went silent at the sound of his voice. He jiggled the locked doorknob.

“Go away, Four!”

Four sighed and pulled out one of Three’s hairpins, a few moments later the door swung open.

“I said go away!”

A book hit Four square in the face, and he tumbled backwards. He rubbed his sore jaw and stood back up, looking around cautiously to make sure that no one had heard the commotion then he closed the door behind him.

Two was in the corner of the room looking like a caged animal, his hair was cut haphazardly, and he was in the middle of demolishing a wooden chair. He glowered at his brother.

“What happened?”

“W-why won’t you ever l-listen to me?!” He snarled back.

“I just want to help you…”

A piece of the chair was ripped off and Four had to dodge it was the pointy end sliced past his ear. He tumbled forward into his brother and knocked him over into the edge of the bed. Four raised his forearms in defense as his much stronger brother hit him repeatedly, not enough to hurt him but just enough to keep him down.

Four kneed him in the stomach and rolled over on top of him, smacking him down. “I’m not the one who hurt you why are you mad at me!? I’m just trying to help you!” Four shook him to drive the point home.

Two growled, struggled, then looked away “H-he-he said…” Tears started streaming down his face and he rushed forward and Four was thrown into the dresser. He yelped and grabbed onto his arm as his shoulder impacted the wood.

Two curled up and began to forcefully sob. Four stared at him for a few moments then, favoring his arm, crawled over and put his arms around his brother. “It’s okay to cry…”

“No, it’s not!”

Four cringed but continued to hold onto his brother. Two began to rock back and forth as he sobbed and eventually, he uncurled and latched onto Four. “I c-c-can’t.” Is all Two said before finally closing his eyes and whimpering into his brother’s chest.

They remained there until Reginald came into the room. He scolded both then dragged Four away to his own room.

**************************************************

“Where the fuck are your shoes, Klaus?” A now 24-year-old Diego stood over the body of his brother. Klaus was curled up behind a dumpster, he had on skinny jeans and a light jacket, but his bare feet were sticking out into the snow. Two of his toes were already turning black.

He glanced up, and attempted to focus his eyes, the skin around his eyes were red and chapped and his pupils were blown to hell. “Diego?” He mumbled then looked down at his feet “Huh, where’d they go?” He giggled psychotically then rolled his head back onto the cold green metal.

Diego groaned and his eyes scanned the environment, “Klaus, get up.”

“ M’ comfortable.”

“You’re going to fucking die of exposure, dumbass!”

Klaus hummed and shifted his body against the dumpster.

Diego mumbled some curses but reached down and pulled his brother to his feet. The addict protested but he ignored him and began to drag him to his car.

“No! I don’t know who you are!” Klaus deliriously spouted.

‘It’s your brother, Diego.” He said, matter-of-factly then he pulled off his own coat, put it over his brother’s shoulders and pushed Klaus into the backseat. Locking the door. He rubbed his face and got into the car. Klaus was squirming around and mumbling nonsense.

“Tell ‘em- Stop being mean to me, Ben.”

Diego’s face was stone cold as he drove, ignoring everything his delirious addict brother was spouting from the backseat.

He made sure to lock his front door as well as he pulled Klaus into his boiler room apartment and shoved him down into a chair. Klaus was staring up at him with wide, watery, and confused eyes.

“Don’t move.”

He came back with sweats, a hoodie and two pairs of socks. His brother was frighteningly pliant as he pulled off his feather jacket and the useless mesh tank top underneath. He grabbed Klaus’ thin wrist and pulled his arm out revealing the track marks that littered his skin. He growled, “Klaus, you better not be reusing needles- I swear to god – If I find out I’ll- I’ll.”

The addict started laughing.

“This isn’t a joke!” Diego’s grip became bruising.

“Ow…” Klaus whined and fell forward until his forehead was against his brother’s shoulder.

Diego let go of him, “Klaus.”

“Stop yelling at me…” He whimpered.

Two sighed and his face softened as his brother started crying against his shirt. He wanted to throttle him, to shake him, to scream at him to stop killing himself but instead he placed an awkward hand on his brother’s back and rubbed little circles with his thumb.

“I’m going to get you some real clothes tomorrow, then I’m taking you to a doctor, then to rehab- and this time I need you to try.”

Klaus hummed softly. Diego knew that he hadn’t heard anything he said.

Diego helped him dress and let him use the bed for the night. Klaus was gone before he woke up the next morning, snuck out soundlessly through the locked door and disappeared back into the streets. He stole a pair of shoes, a coat, and the cash in his brother’s wallet so Diego considered the night to be somewhat of a success.

******************************************

“David. David, look at what you’ve done to me!”

Dave came into his partner’s old childhood bedroom. Klaus was standing in front of a mirror, he was shirtless in a pair of racy leather pants with corseted holes running up the side. He was pulling them tight and grunting but - they wouldn’t button. His stomach was sticking out just a little too far and he had a bit of a muffin top happening as he struggled to latch them on. 

“Hey, sexy pants.”

“Don’t ‘sexy pants’ me, Katz. This is your fault.” He gave up and groaned in frustration. 

Dave leaned against the doorframe and watched his partner fondly, “You know you look sexy with a little extra weight.”

Klaus grumbled and shoved the pants into the clothes hamper, “Those pants used to be my identity 15 years ago.” He murmured bitterly. 

He moved through the doorway and Dave lightly slapped his ass, he waved him off “Don’t touch me or my muffin top- I’m grieving.”

He came back a few moments later from Allison’s room with a pair of feminine slacks and finished getting dressed. He had woken up about an hour previously. Luckily most of his injuries were skin deep and the majority of the blood that had covered his body had been that of the people he fought when he got stuck at the commission. His head, however, seemed to have reopened and had been seeping blood down the back of his neck. Dave bandaged him up, expertly, no doubt from all the time he spent tending to the wound, and Klaus covered the bandages with a green head scarf covered in white Daisies. An item he stole from his mother’s closet. 

Dave watched him as he settled against the wall and bent over holding his face - “How are you feeling?”

“Oh- I’m used to headaches by now - it’s everything else.” He waved his “GOOD BYE” hand in the air. 

Klaus moved to settle his face in the crook of Dave’s neck - Dave pulled him in and rubbed his back. 

“Everything that matters is right here.”

“This is disgustingly sweet.”

Both men turned and Ben took a step back - immediately realizing that he could now be heard by both parties. He smiled “I mean, hey Dave - I’ll uh - I’ll just go.”

Klaus grinned at him. 

The moment that Klaus was able to stand he had stumbled forward and before Ben knew what was happening he used the rest of his limited energy to solidify him and then promptly hug him for 5 minutes straight. Ben had started crying as soon as he realized what was going on and he fell to the ground as well when Klaus finally collapsed in a dizzy spell. 

The group jumped when the sounds of an upset toddler filled the room. Klaus held onto Dave for a moment more then stepped back, “Oh god, he’s not feeling good - he’s been through so much in his little life. His little head probably hurts… And he doesn’t understand what’s going on...” 

Dave placed an arm on Klaus’ shoulder - “I know, listen, I’ll take care of him- He probably shouldn’t be alone. Daisy’s asleep. How ‘bout you go check on Theo?”

“I can make sure Daisy is still asleep.” Ben was loving being able to help and the fact that someone other than Klaus looked at him when he spoke was blowing his mind. 

“I’d appreciate that, Ben- Big Ben.” Dave smiled politely at him. 

They left the room, making plans to start settling in for now in a separate corner of the house with its own kitchen. As they left Klaus turned around and locked the door to his old room. 

*******************************************

“Theo…” The door was open so Klaus just knocked lightly on the edge of the frame. His son was sitting on the bed staring out the window.

He looked up at his father’s voice, “Yeah?”

“May I come in?”

He seemed to come out of his trance, “Uh- Yeah.”

Klaus sat gently on the edge of the bed, “How are you doing?”

“You don’t have to therapize me, everything turned out fine.” He was turned away slightly and not looking at his father. 

“That's not what I asked.” And he added indignantly “And I’m not trying to ‘Therapize’ you, you’re my son and I’m worried about you.”

“You’re using your therapist's voice.” Theo pointed out. 

“Damn it.”

He crossed his legs and put his chin in his hands, “Well, I’ll try not to use that voice on you. But I’m still worried about you. And you don’t have to talk about it if you’re not ready, I get it, you’re a teenager now you’re allowed time to brood in all the hormones and angst - And I’ll leave you alone but I’m still going to pop in every day to tell you that 1. I love you, 2. I’m proud of you and 3. You’re still one of my favorite people. And someday when you come out of the fog of puberty you know I’ll be waiting here for you to tell me all about it.”

The corners of Theo’s mouth tilted up slightly, “I love you too, Mom. I guess I’m just freaked out by everything right now. But I’m okay.”

“That’s totally fair! And you deserve time to process what’s happened in the last day.”

“You’re using the voice again.”

“Oh, come on, that time was just my normal voice!”

Klaus smiled, still watching his son closely, “Can I give you a hug - It’s more for me than you, I promise.”

Theo nodded. Klaus pulled him into his chest and kissed the top of his head. 

“KLAUS!”

Klaus didn’t let go of theo , “Oh, would you look at that! It’s your uncle Five. Don’t be deceived, he’s actually older than me.”

"People are older than you?"

"Ooh, that's cold son.."

Five teleported into the room, he held the air of someone desperately trying to put on a facade of calm. 

“Five!”

“Hi, Klaus.” His head turned stiffly to Theo, “Hi, Theo.”

He focused in on Klaus again, “So something crazy just started happening, do you want to know what it is?”

“Pray tell?”

“Suddenly, all my formulas became skewed. I tried everything but they all became irrelevant. It took me a while to figure out but then the answer came to me revealing that the timeline has split. Do you want to guess how many times the timeline fractured?”

Klaus swallowed, “Is it - Is it 3?”

“It's THREE!” He snapped “And, please, inform me, how many children do you have now- what is it for you? 15 years later?”

“Oh- well, I have three. Three beautiful children. That’s a funny coincidence isn’t it?!”

“You idiot!” Five laughed, sounding a little unhinged “This is just great - this is wonderful..” His voice dripping in sarcasm.

“It was nice to meet you, Theo.” Five walked away and then teleported out of sight.

“He- he was alone for a long time, it made him a little-” Klaus whistled “Don’t take his tone personally, he loves you.”

“Mom, you’re still hugging me..”

“Oh! Right, sorry.”

*****************************************

Klaus was on his way to Daisy’s room when he spotted Diego, walking hell bent through one of the living halls. 

“Diego!” His brother didn’t seem to hear him.

“He’s going after those two psychos that kidnapped you and killed that detective.” Ben interjected, staring down at their brother as he flipped out a knife and slid it back in his sleeve. 

“Damn it!” Klaus hissed. 

He flew into his daughter’s room, she was still sleeping, he leaned on the edge of the bed and pulled her into a gentle hug. She stirred and looked at him briefly, her face furrowed into concern. 

He nuzzled her face and hugged her, “Afternoon, sleepy head. I’ve got to go save your uncle, okay? I didn’t want you to wake up and not know where I was, I’ll be back before your bedtime, okay?”

She nodded, still mostly asleep, “Be careful, momma…”

“You know I will. Be good for your dad and don’t leave the house, do you understand me? I’ll take you out to see the city soon. I promise.”

She nodded. 

He stared at her for a couple more seconds, “That’s my girl. I love you.”

“I love you.”

He ran out of the room, leaving the door slightly cracked so that she would have light if it got dark and he sprinted down the stairs. He met Dave briefly before he was able to leave the house. “Diego’s about to go on a revenge spree, I’ve got to go talk to him.” Klaus kissed Ben on the top of the head and left the house. 

“You better be careful, Angel!”

Klaus groaned as he realized that off course Diego had already wheeled away as fast as he could. He kicked the ground and began to hail a taxi. 

****************************************************************

Diego stood at the top of the stairs leading to the second floor of the seedy motel that was still burned permanently into Klaus’ mind. 14 years was not a long enough time to be away from it. Diego lifted his knife and prepared to face the assassins. 

Klaus walked up behind him, “So what’s the plan here, big guy?”

Diego lowered his knife and rolled his eyes turning to his brother, but when he actually looked at him he stalled for a moment. “What the hell happened to you?”

“First of all, ouch. Second of all, killing these people is not going to make you feel any better, Di.”

“So what? When this is all over - I’m gonna sleep like a baby. But seriously, you look different.. Are you-” he leaned into to look into his brother’s eyes “Are you sober?”

Klaus laughed “Oh, we’re waaay past that plot line. Also, I’m almost fifteen years older than you now so I expect to be treated like the big brother that I am.” Klaus’ smile faded “Also, I would have looked different back then too if you had looked for me, It was just me except I was half naked covered in torture marks.” He snapped the last bit but then he seemed to calm down. 

“Watch out.” He pulled Diego out of the way of a bullet- it missed his arm by an inch

“Klaus…”

“It’s okay, it’s fine - Look, if you really want to settle your conscience, I’ll go with you - You’re not allowed to die before you meet my children. I named one after you for chrissake.”

Diego stared at him in stunned silence. 

“I mean, you got the middle name but, you know, Ben died so he got first naming rights…” Klaus thought for a moment while Diego watched him, slack jawed. “And, okay, so I was going to name him after my father in law but his name is Franklin and- You know- Ben Franklin and all that was a little too on the nose so Diego it was- But you were the only second choice, I swear!” 

“What is happening?”

“They’re slashing your tires.”

That snapped Diego out of it, “Damn it!”

They sprinted down the stairs to find the car out of commission, Diego kicked the tire angrily. They both looked around. Klaus was the first to spot the ice cream truck. Diego shook his head. Klaus nodded. 

As they started the drive in the joyously tuned vehicle Diego turned to Klaus who was driving. 

“You’re joking, right?”

Klaus shook his head, staring at the road in front of them, “No- It’s been a long time, Diego. A lot has changed, I escaped from those nut bags and I ended up on the front lines of Vietnam.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, ‘shit’ and I met the love of my life - I got hurt and I found my son and the rest is history.”

“A son?”

“Yeah, Theodore Angel, he’s 13, you’re gonna love him. He’s so kind and so observant and I can’t wait to see what he does with his life - He makes people happy and the world needs that.” Klaus looked like he was about to cry “And I have a little girl too!”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah - Daisy Vanya.” He laughed “She reminds me so much of little Five - Dipped in cocaine - Jeez, I can’t keep up with her - too smart- too passionate - too sweet - the world’s not ready for her, Diego, but they’re gonna have to get over it soon because she’s not stopping for anyone.”

“Klaus.”

Klaus continued “Then there’s Benjamin Diego - He’s two years old, and I swear to god he’s already the strongest person I know. I’m so excited to get to know him.”

“I- I can’t tell if I should believe you or not, bro-” He watched him nervously.

“You don’t have to believe me! I have proof when we get home.” He laughed a little maniacally and leaned into Diego “Can you imagine if I brought you home and it was just three bags of flour of varying heights and a sex doll? That would be crazy, right?!”

Klaus swallowed “But seriously, Diego, I’m sorry.”

His brother didn’t respond, just continued to inspect him. 

“I’m sorry for all the shit I put you through, I’m sorry for breaking all my promises and for putting all that weight on your shoulders. I’m sorry I made you worry that I was going to get murdered, raped, or frozen to death. I’m sorry. But I want you to know that through all that, just knowing that you were out there worrying about me kept me from blowing my head off.” 

Klaus blinked the tears from his eyes and looked away, “Oh, man, that felt good to get off my chest.”

“I don’t know what to say, Klaus.”

“Whatever you want, you want to punch me - go for it- fuck knows I deserve it. And I know you’re angry, Diego. I know that dad fucking tortured you like he did the rest of us - but I don’t want to let that define us, anymore. And I’m going to let you in on a little secret, okay? I met God. Someone shot me in the head and I met God. And do you want to know what she told me?”

“What?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Diego leaned back and glowered out the window - staying silent for several minutes just watching the countryside go by. 

Diego’s voice was heavy when he finally spoke “Do you know what it’s like to for everyone to think that they can strip everything from you? Like you’re some template they can project on? My masculinity, my personality, the fact that I had to live in my brother’s shadow and have that shit shoved in my face every minute of every day?” 

“You never understood, you just gave up- gave up on me and you gave up on yourself. While the voices in my head tell me every goddamn day that I have to be better, stronger, I have to push myself until I bleed and all it gave me was an empty life but I never gave up.”

“Being yourself always seemed so easy for you - like you were always fucking mocking me because I couldn’t ever just let it go.. And you’re telling me that it never mattered?”

He glared at his brother. 

“Diego, when nothing matters the only thing that matters is what you do.”

His brother lifted his head and looked up to the sky “Fuck it - The world’s ended, Patch.. Is dead - and apparently my junkie brother is wise now.”

Klaus grinned at him. 

“So, these brats of yours- they know how to defend themselves at all?”

“You’re not giving my kids any knives, Diego.”

“It’s never too early to start. And I’ve seen you fight- They’re gonna need all the help they can get.”

*****************************************************

Theo rounded another hall of his father’s childhood mansion. This place was truly insane and he kept getting lost. His sister was ahead of him, she had opened every door that she came across, inspected the interior and then moved on. 

She carried a book that their mom had made for them a long time ago, a homemade story book of sorts that he had meticulously illustrated with photos and information of their aunts and uncles along with maps of the house he grew up in. Theo had always thought it was for sentimental purposes but after the events of the past 24 hours he realized that maybe it was a safety net just in case they ended up alone in 2019. 

He watched as she opened another door, looked inside and then for the first time went past the door. He grumbled, he kind of wanted to be asleep right now but he couldn’t in good conscience let his little sister get lost in this creepy old place. 

“There’s a crossbow in here!” 

He paused and his eyes went wide. 

He jogged into the room, sure enough there was an antique looking cross bow in a glass case. She was already standing on top of it, tapping the glass with a metal staff she had picked up in one of the other rooms. 

“It looks like it was custom made.” She marveled. 

“What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to see how to open it! I think it’s bullet proof glass…”

“Then you’re not getting in - what do you want with a crossbow, anyway?”

She shrugged, “I’ve always wanted to mount some fireworks on a crossbow and see what happens - or target practice - I bet I could light these arrows on fire like they used to do in battles.”

“It’s scary you’ve already thought of this.”

Theo let out a defeated sigh, “That does sound pretty awesome though- Here, move.”

She jumped down and Theo bent a candle holder over- he had noticed the fact that it didn’t quite touch the table. The case flew open. 

“Whoa!” She rushed towards it and started to inspect it. 

“We’re going to have to hide it - Mom and Pops would flip if they saw this thing.”

“What do you mean ‘we’? I found it.” 

“And I figured out how to open it- Plus I don’t think you could even carry that thing.”

Daisy picked up an arrow “You probably can’t either,”

“Yes, I can.”

“Prove it!”

Theo huffed and walked over to the crossbow. The sharp sound of someone clearing their throat made both of the children startled and look at the doorway. 

“What on earth are you doing?! And who let you in here?”

Daisy and Theo looked at each other. Daisy threw out her arms “Pogo! We were just looking around!”

Theo interjected “And this thing was just open so--”

The monkey huffed. 

“Theo! Daisy! Come down and eat some food!”

The children knew that they were busted so the sound of their father’s voice was a message from heaven.

“Well, that’s Pops - we better get down there..”

“Love you, Pogo!” They sprinted past the old caretaker who turned around completely baffled. 

As they moved towards the kitchen, Theo’s eyes scanned all the items and books that they passed. Daisy was way ahead of him so when he spotted a book that seemed out of place he stopped and pulled it from the shelf. 

“Huh- I didn’t know aunt Vanya wrote a book..” He mused and then tucked it under his arm and ran to catch up with his sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Your comments mean the world to me!


	10. Allison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus and Allison have to confront the regrets and the pain that has torn them apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! These have been getting so long! But I've been trying to fit everything in! I really adore Allison so I've been really looking forward to writing this chapter, I hope that I did her and Klaus' relationship justice!  
> I hope that you enjoy it!

“Do you have everything?” 16 year old Allison Hargreeves stood by the front door of their home bouncing from foot to foot nervously. 

Klaus took one more look across the halls to make sure that the cameras were still shut off then tiptoed over to her carrying a duffel bag “Honestly, how dare you doubt me.” He lifted out an expensive looking bottle of alcohol. 

“Anything else? I’m not going out like this--” She gestured down to the stuffy school uniform that they were forced to wear. 

“Yeah, yeah, I stashed it in the alley just down the street.”

“Let's go then!” Allison whispered intensely and held the door open for her brother. 

They escaped out onto the dark streets of the city, it was a clear night after several days of rain so the street lights glinted off the puddles in the road just adding to the mystic and adrenaline. 

Klaus led them to the aforementioned spot and sure enough, tucked away in a trunk behind the dumpster he revealed a plethora of clothes. 

“I’ll block you if you block me.” Klaus suggested and then they took turns holding up a blanket so that they had privacy to change. When they were finished they ended up in a maelstrom of early two thousands teen fashion, for better or for worse.

Allison was in fashionably baggy cargo pants with glitter butterflies on the butt and more sequins around the feet. She had on a shimmering crop top and she finished the look with extra bracelets and long beaded necklaces.

Klaus went for the bulky boots, long wavy skirt and a tank top that just said “Juicy” on the front. He also added an avril Lavine -esque loosened necktie to finish off his look. 

“Don’t forget these- These were the hardest to sneak out.” He tossed her a thin purple boa and he threw the black one over his own shoulders.

She giggled “Dad would kill us if he saw us in this.”

“Dad’s allergic to fashion, sis, we shouldn’t have to suffer for that.”

They sprinted to the designated spot- a small, seedy club with flashing neon lights going all night long. There wasn’t much of a line so they only had to wait a few minutes to face the bouncer. The stern woman who looked like she could snap both of them in half glared them down. Allison clung onto Klaus’ arm as he handed the woman their fake IDs. 

She inspected the cards then the children in front of her, “This says you’re 23.”

“23 years young!”

The siblings glanced at each other. 

“Get out of here, kids- you”

“I heard a rumor that you let us in and didn’t bother us for the rest of the night.”

The bouncer’s eyes flashed white and she handed them their cards back, “Go on in.” She mumbled blankly and stood to the side. They dashed inside.

“This place is awesome!” 

It was relatively crowded with lots of different types of people, some of them at the bar, some of them lounging at tables but most of them dancing to the bumping pop / hip hop tracks that the DJ was playing. 

They didn’t have any money so they nursed the stolen bottle for a while before gathering up the liquid courage to let loose on the dance floor. They were in their element and they lost themselves in the steady bass of the music. Allison stayed near Klaus while he swiveled all too confidently through the crowds. 

It was a long time later when Allison finally felt safe enough to leave his side. 

“I’ll be right back!” She yelled over the music “I have to go to the bathroom!”

“Okay! I’ll meet you by those tables! I bet we can wrangle some shots!”

She left and he continued dancing until the end of the current song, he ended up hovering around some college aged women who were completely wasted. He was as charming as ever as he tried to con his way into some free drinks. They were all laughing drunkenly and he stumbled backwards into someone obviously a lot bigger than him.

He turned around and stared up at a mountain of a man who now had his drink splattered across his chest. Klaus put his hands up as this guy was obviously just begging for a fight, “That’s my bad- man - Hard to believe I missed you, right?” He winked. 

Suddenly a hand was on his face pushing him backwards, the man gripped his mouth and chin painfully. Klaus yelped as he hit the side of a table.

“Watch where you’re going, fairy.”

“Jeez, dude, you’re like 7 ft tall - I think it’s your responsibility not to bowl the rest of us tiny folk over.”

“The fuck you say to me?!” He slurred angrily, some of his spit hitting Klaus in the face. The teenager cringed. He tightened his grip. 

“I heard a rumor you dumped your beer on your head then did the chicken dance.”

The man’s eyes flashed white. He lifted his arm and dropped his entire drink over his mostly bald head and then proceeded to squat, cluck, and peck his head back and forth wondering ridiculously into the dance floor while people laughed. 

Allison grabbed her brother’s arm “C’mon, let's get out of here.”

They fumbled into the parking lot.

“Are you okay?”

Klaus didn’t answer and instead turned around and began to walk backwards. He held something up in his right hand “I picked his wallet.” He opened it and shuffled through the contents, he pulled out the cash along with a couple of credit cards then he tossed the remains over his shoulder. “Looks like 75 bucks - score!” He pumped his fist and twirled. 

Allison’s face lit up and she raced to catch up with him - “Hey, give me some of that!” 

He handed her the cash “Hey, you distracted him - thanks for that, by the way.” He tucked the cards in his waistline. 

They ended up finding a 24 hour arcade and they spent most of the cash there on tokens. Allison annihilated the scoreboard for the zombie shooter and they teamed up for a Dance Dance Revolution high score. It was almost 3 in the morning when she found her brother aggressively attempting to catch a unicorn plushie in a claw machine. 

“Come on, we better head back.” 

“Just give me a second, I’ve never wanted anything more in my entire life.” The toy slipped from the claw and tumbled back into the pile of stuffed animals and rubber balls. He had three tokens left. 

“Damn! It’s stuck!”

She shoved him out of the way and gripped the joystick, “Here, let me show you how it’s done…” She bit her lip in concentration as she maneuvered the toy by it’s right leg, lifted it up and as Klaus’ face lit up and he covered his mouth in anticipation, she let go of the button and the unicorn fell into the winning bucket. 

She grabbed it and tossed it into his arms. He held it to his chest and did a sort of sloppy victory dance “You need to quit being a superhero and just do this full time!”

“Enjoy it. Give me the last two tokens, I wanna get some nachos before we head home.”

The siblings skipped along and chatted idly, munching on some cheap nachos through the city until they came to the bridge. Klaus pointed to the concrete railing - “Hey, this place has the best views.”

“We need to get home, Klaus.”

“It’ll only be for a few minutes! Plus, I’ve got a surprise for you! Please, Allie! For us?” He pouted and lifted the head of the unicorn under his arm and waved it’s hoof. 

She rolled her eyes, “Fine.”

They settled on top of the concrete overlook, facing out towards the never ending night skyline of the city. It was truly a stunning sight along with the cool breeze coming off the ocean. 

“It’s beautiful..”

“Yeah- “ Klaus stretched and began to rummage through his bag “It’s almost easy to forget everything else in our lives…” He pulled out a blunt and quickly lit the end up, “I don’t know about you but I’m not going back sober.” He took a hit and his shoulders relaxed almost immediately. 

He handed it over to his sister; She inhaled deeply and coughed as the smoke filled her lungs. She sighed and leaned her head back as the weed relaxed her. She put her legs over Klaus’ lap and they passed the blunt back and forth, staring at the twinkling lights of the city. 

“The second I turn 18, I’m going to LA…”

“Yeah… The land of beautiful people. We’d fit in perfectly.”

“Being in movies- all the fun things we could do..”

“I could be a model-- or a sugar baby.” He huffed and closed his eyes. 

“Can you imagine the clubs over there?”

“Especially being VIPs, no sneaking in for us.”

Allison smiled distantly.

Klaus continued “We have to bring Ben, right?”

“Oh for sure! I bet if we get him drunk enough he would go crazy at a club!”

Klaus giggled, “Face it, he’s probably gonna be our manager.”

“Yeah- he’d have all the contacts.”

Allison leaned back, “Only two more years… Then we’re free..”

Klaus sat up and began to look through his duffel bag, he pulled out a small baggie of pills. “And it can’t go fast enough.”

Allison blinked through the fog and her face fell slightly, “Isn’t the weed enough for tonight?”

He didn’t answer and instead just popped a pill dry and threw his head back. He snuggled the unicorn against his face and closed his eyes, laying down on his back. “It won’t last long enough.”

They laid there together for an undetermined amount of time until they both sat up at the exact same time. The sun had just begun to peak over the horizon. 

“Shit!” They exclaimed in unison and clumsily gathered their stuff and bolted down the street towards the Hargreeve’s mansion; Bumping into each other and tripping the entire way home. 

***********************************************************************************************

“Mom!” Daisy rushed her father and slammed into him with enough force to cause him to grunt and take a step back. 

He glanced back at Luther and Diego with a tired grin, “See, I told you it wasn’t just a sack of flour.”

She stared up at him, “Are you okay, momma?”

His voice was more strained than he intended but he smiled anyway, “Of course, sweetie, don’t worry about me.”

She looked behind him and shrieked, her father cringed. “Uncle Diego! Uncle Luther!” She ran around him and acted like she was going to barrel into Diego but stopped before she made contact, “I’ve gotta get the book!” She bolted away at speeds that were honestly intimidating to the adults in the room. 

Luther tensed up as Dave entered the foyer and came up to his partner, he was eyeing his brother in laws nervously. Probably because of how they were glaring at him and standing in fighting poses. 

“Is that the ex commission agent that Five was talking about? He said you’ve been colluding with one.” Luther accused. 

Klaus sauntered up to Dave and slowly pulled an arm around his neck, he pressed a kiss into the other man’s neck and hummed, “Oh, we’ve been ‘colluding’ alright. If you must know, we started ‘colluding’ pretty soon after we met.” He winked at his brothers. 

“I’m Dave, it’s nice to meet you. Luther. Diego. Klaus has told me a lot about you.” He tried to ignore his partner’s innuendo and keep everything civil. 

They stared at him. And Luther looked downright shocked by what just happened. 

Klaus sighed, now annoyed, “He’s the father of my children, alright? Back off.” He held onto Dave’s arm and led him into the next room. 

Luther stared after him, dumbfounded. “But-- That’s a-- He’s a man?”

Diego rolled his eyes, “Dad, really never let you out of the house, did he? I’ll explain it to you later.”

In the next room Klaus turned to his partner and leaned against him, his breath coming in short ragged bursts. 

“Your head?”

He nodded, “I think I’m about to black out.” He skin turned slightly green “Or vomit - one of the two.”

“You pushed yourself too far, Angel. C’mon, I’ve got a bedroom set up.”

They passed the living room, despite his pain Klaus leaned in to see where Ben was sitting on the couch next to- well- Ben. The toddler was bouncing up and down on his bottom and the ghost was holding one of his arms. 

“You’ve got the little one, right, big Ben?”

“I’ve got him!”

“Wonderful! I’ll try to keep giving you go-go corporeal juice.”

Dave helped Klaus up the stairs in into the closest bedroom, this particular room had a full sized bed and their few remaining belongings were scattered around. Klaus dragged himself away and topped into the connected bathroom, he collapsed next to the toilet and began heaving painfully into it.

Dave knelt behind him and rubbed his back

It was several slow agonizing minutes later that Klaus was able to keep his remaining stomach acid down. He let his partner lead him to the bed. “You’re on bedrest, doctor's orders.” Klaus moped while Dave pulled away his scarf and began to re dress the spent wrappings. 

“I was doing okay- Then- y’ know assassins and there was an ice cream truck and we crashed into said assassins. Running around the road for a bit… I think Five fucked off to somewhere in time, who knows when or where. You know, I feel bad now for flipping those psychos off now, I mean they waterboarded me but looking back maybe they were doing me a favor.”

“You got into a car accident?!”

“Ice cream truck accident.” His partner’s unimpressed expression made him continue, “So like a normal car accident but with some soothing background music.”

“Goddamnit, Klaus..” He grumbled. 

“Mom, are you okay?” Theo was suddenly standing in the doorway, he was holding some things in his arm and staring at the bloodied bandages and his father’s green pallor with a horrified expression. 

Klaus’ face forcefully brightened, “I’m peachy, love, just my old injury acting up. It looks worse than it is, I promise.”

“Theo, could you get your mom a glass of water?”

“Yeah…” He backed up and left. 

“I appreciate it, bud!”

Dave turned to the man next to him, “We talked about this, Klaus, he’s not falling for this act anymore. He’s not a little kid anymore, he can tell that you’re lying to him. Pretending that everything is alright is just going to push him away.”

Dave came back from the bathroom and pressed a cool rag to Klaus’ forehead. He sighed at the limited relief it brought to his burning skin.

“I’m not lying to him, David, I just-- I don’t want him to see me- like this. I’m just not ready for that conversation right now. He already deals with my bullshit enough.” He whined and fell back onto the meticulously staged pillows stacked behind him. 

“I know- And you’re right, you need to rest.”

Theo came back in with the water, Dave thanked him and set it down on the bedside table. Klaus inspected his son. 

“Where did you get those?” He nodded at the string of fairy lights wrapped around the teenager’s arm. 

Theo faltered slightly and glanced down, “I got them from your old room- I wanted some extra lights for my room, I don’t like the dark.”

“Yes, I know, but how did you get in there?”

Theo watched his father nervously, “I- uh - picked the lock - I thought maybe it was an accident that it was locked. All the other rooms were opened.”

Klaus sighed and didn’t miss the sharp glance that he received from his partner, “Okay, so I know I taught you that so this is maybe on me. But, Theodore, there’s a reason why I locked that door. I don’t remember what’s all in there and I don’t want you or your sister going in there until I can check it over, do you understand?”

Theo nodded, “I’m sorry.”

“I know, sweetie. I’m just worried that there might be things in there that could hurt you.”

“Also, lets not do any more lockpicking while we’re here, if a door or cabinet or something is locked, just leave it be. Your grand- The man who raised your father was a little eccentric, lets not tempt fate here.” Dave interjected. 

“Okay. Do you want me to put these back…?” He lifted up the lights. 

“No, just keep them, enjoy them, they’re very nice. Also, in the drawers next to your grandma Grace’s charging station are more night lights and things. Feel free to take whatever you want for you and your sister’s rooms. But please go back and lock my old room up, I don’t want your sister to get in there. Okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll go lock it again.”

“Thank you, sweetie, I’m sorry everything is so messed up right now.”

Theo nodded and backed out, looking a little sheepish.

“How was I supposed to know he was going to use that against me?” Klaus didn’t need Dave to say anything, he could read his expression clearly. 

Dave sighed and flipped the rag over to the cooler side, “Hey, I’m just proud you didn’t start crying - I know you and discipline don’t mix.”

“Ha. Ha. I’m just waiting for you to leave.”

Dave huffed, flashing his partner a fond smile. “I’m going to start getting things prepared for if we have to run, also, I want to add some more alarms around the kids’ rooms. Is it safe to leave them with Diego and Luther?”

“Oh yeah, they’ll love it. They’re not nearly as incompetent as they act, I promise.”

When Dave left the room he turned on the bathroom light, the lamps and the hallway light before shutting off the overhead light. 

*************************************************************************************************

Klaus vaguely recalled dozing off and drifting in and out of a fitful sleep. The pain in his head thrummed constantly and he had to keep his neck and head as still as possible to alleviate some of the discomfort. In an instinct that probably came from having three kids, he shot up when the cracked door to his room squeaked open hesitantly. 

“Hey, you don’t have to get up. I was just checking on you.”

“Allison!” Seeing her concerned face lit up by the hallway’s glow hit him a lot harder than he had been expecting and his voice broke slightly. 

She gave him a warm smile and leaned against the doorway. She studied him. “The guys filled me in on everything. Including Ben. That was - that was special.”

“Oh well, that’s a relief, I’m sure whatever audience is experiencing this is getting sick of me explaining the same story over and over again.” He sat back, “Did you meet them?”

“Yeah, they’re wonderful. Do you mind if I come in?”

“Oh, come in, come in!”

She settled on the bed next to him, her hands resting in her lap, twisting nervously. “You know I just saw you yesterday. You were getting drunk in the bathtub so this is all really weird and hard to process.”

He chuckled, “That was the last time I used headphones in the bath, that’s for damn sure!” He rolled his head over to look around the room, “I’ve got so much to show you! Here, can you hand me that bag over there?”

She brought him the bag and minding his head he pulled out a thick album, “You know I’m shit with taking pictures so luckily Dave can’t stop.” He opened to the first page, there was a photo of him and Dave with their unit but he skipped past that and pointed to a baby picture.”

“There’s my little teddy bear! He was so small and cuddly.”

Allison leaned over and inspected it, her face softened. “Aw, he’s adorable!” She gestured to his bare left arm, “Is that why you’ve got that?” 

He glanced down at the intricate tattoo on his bicep, an old fashioned teddy bear holding a white daisy with small angel wings coming from behind. The wings had small flames whispering up into his shoulder. “Yeah… We decided to call him Theo instead of ‘Teddy’ but he was still my little snuggle bear.”

She laughed and her eyes moved through the various photographs, “Jesus..” She cringed slightly noticing a specific photo of Klaus on a bed, he was giving a lopsided grin and had an infant Theo in his arms. He looked like a corpse. 

“Yeah-” Klaus quickly turned the page, “I tried to stop Dave from getting me in the pictures but he didn’t listen.” He glanced up at his sister, “Look, having Theo was great but I was fucked up… Thanks to the bullet in my head I was in some sort of death coma for the worst of the withdrawals but when I woke up I- It felt like a nightmare. I’m so glad Theo doesn’t remember that and I’m lucky Dave is so strong willed because it was like 2 years before I even felt like a person.”

“He’s a good kid, I can tell.”

Klaus grinned, “Yeah, he’s so special.” He flipped through the pages, highlighting Theo’s birthdays and just random clips throughout his childhood. “He won two years in a row at the school talent show, he got 2nd place the third year.” He pointed to the photos of a slightly older Theo holding a cheesy looking trophy and grinning from ear to ear. A photo of Ruth feeding him ice cream. A photo of him after winning a writing contest.

“And there’s Daisy! Right after we brought her home!”

Allison moved closer, “Holy shit, she was so tiny!”

“It was terrifying! Oh, and she was so sick as a baby, we didn’t sleep for like a year. I was going to college at the time and even with Dave, I had to take a break to take care of her.”

“You went to college?  
”  
He nodded and fake whispered into her ear, “They never figured out how much of a dumbass I am. Got ‘em!”

She giggled but pressed him forward in the album. He flipped through the varying stages of Daisy’s early life with Theo. Lots of outside shots in a little kiddy pool. At a farm and at a local pizza place. 

“Oh, and look at this shit - “ He pointed to a photo of Daisy pouting outside of a shed, there was a strangely built contraption at her feet “The kid made a potato gun from shit she found in Frank’s shed. They don’t teach you how to deal with that as a parent. It wasn’t the first time we realized she was gifted but it was the first time that we were outmatched by a 6 year old.”

Allison beamed as he turned the page, “And there’s Ben!” He rolled his eyes “Ugh, he’s such a good baby, thank god we didn’t name him Diego Benjamin, then we probably would have been fucked.” He moved through more pictures, “He doesn’t talk though…”

“How old is he?”

“He’s two - I mean, I think it’s fine - It’s just both Theo and Daisy were really talkative by this point.” Klaus considered this for a moment “So Theo’s first word was “mama” and Daisy’s first words were “Pop-pop” and now we’re just waiting around to see who wins the third and final round.”

Allison studied him, “You know, I’m really proud of you.”

“That means a lot coming from you, Allie”

She straightened up a little nervously, “Can I- Can I show you some pictures that I have?”

“You better.” 

She came back a minute later and hopped excitedly on the bed, she had a beautifully intricate album in her hands. 

“Now, I saw the pictures in the magazines after she was born..”

“These aren’t those - I promise.” She flipped through the book first stopping at a much more candid photo of her holding a newborn Claire in the hospital. No makeup or fancy lighting just Allison beaming tiredly at her baby girl. 

Klaus covered his mouth, “Oh my…”

She flipped through more pages of Claire’s childhood, explaining context as she went and moving quickly past the ones that had Patrick in them. 

“So, the first fashion show I took her to, this designer - Who, mind you, had been making these rude ass comments all evening about me and the academy, came up to her and ruffled her hair and called her cute and do you want to know what my baby girl did?”

“What did she do?”

“She looked this woman dead in the eyes and said “Bite me, lady.”

Klaus leaned over and cackled, “What did you do?”

“I said ‘oh well, kids, what can you do!’ then I high fived my daughter because how dare that bitch come up and patronize her like that after she’d been negging me the whole night!” Allison placed a dramatic hand on her chest, “I’ve never been more proud.”

She took him through everything that he missed, every birthday party and achievement. When she was done she closed the book carefully and leaned again Klaus’ shoulder.

They sat in silence for a while until she finally spoke up. “You know, this is all I’ve ever wanted- for us to be a family. Knowing that you hated me- “

“I never hated you, Allison, I said some mean, spiteful shit back then because I was bitter and angry and I felt like you abandoned me. But you deserved to escape, Allie, you did nothing wrong by leaving and living your best life and I’m sorry I said those things.”

“I did abandon you, though. I knew how you were living. I saw the phone calls and I just pretended like it didn’t exist.” Allison looked up, attempting to blink away the tears “I told Claire - ‘when uncle Klaus gets better we’re gonna have so much fun- when he gets better he’s going to come over and play dress up with you and tell you so many stories.” She let out a small sob “But I didn’t believe it. I gave up on you and I was just waiting for the news that you were found dead.”

Klaus wept silently as Allison continued. 

“When we were 16 and we had that last night together - before Ben died and you overdosed- before I lost two of my brothers in one week, we talked about the beautiful people in Hollywood and the beautiful life we were going to live. Happily ever after, well, I did it. I made it. And it’s all fake, Klaus. I thought If i soared high enough I could forget this house, this family, this pain and it could never touch me again but everything I built was just a house of cards. Then when it mattered most, I failed the most important person in the world to me and now I don’t have her anymore.”

Klaus squeezed her hand, “You’ll get Claire back - once all this apocalypse business is settled, we’ll go and get her, I promise. And with your permission, I would love to be a part of her life - make up for all the time I missed.”

Allison nodded and curled into Klaus’ side, cuddling under his arm “I’d like that…”

Klaus swallowed hard “I called my best friend a selfish bitch and didn’t even send a card when her daughter was born and I’ll never forgive myself for that.”

“I left my brother in a cold empty hospital when he needed someone the most and I’ll never forgive myself for that.”

“I guess we both fuck up sometimes… Which is dumb because we’re so hot - we shouldn’t have to deal with that shit.”

Allison cackled. 

“Did you come from Vanya’s?”

“Yeah- she’s doing so good, Klaus. She’s got this creepy ass boyfriend that she just met so I don’t know what to think about that. We should go over there tomorrow, maybe with the kids?”

“I’d really love to see her.”

They jumped at a commotion down stairs and Allison untangled herself and walked to the door, “What the hell are they doing down there?”

*********************************************************************************************************

Meanwhile....

“You know, I hope they get to talk some shit out- They were so fucking tight when we were kids.” Diego gestured to where Allison was now going up the stairs presumably to check on Klaus. 

Luther made a face “Allison and Klaus? Really?”

Diego rolled his eyes and meandered to where Ben was watching the youngest Katz child on the couch. Daisy was desperately trying to get Luther’s attention and honestly, his patience for his brother was dwindling down fast anyway.

He perched himself on the arm of the couch, the two year old stared intensely at him, with bug curious eyes until Diego shifted uncomfortably in his seat. 

“It’s good to see you again, Ben..”

“I’ve been here the whole time- I know that Klaus is a little unreliable but he wasn’t lying about me talking to him.”

Diego grumbled, “Yeah, sorry about that.”

Across the room Daisy was tugging incessantly on Luther’s jacket, he awkwardly looked down at her and smiled. Next to them Theo was watching the room, looking a little sullen.

“Uncle Luther, How did you survive on the moon? It gets really hot then really cold… I read it can be -150 degree shel--sel- Celsius- “ She still stumbled through the last word “That’s so cold! Is that true? What did you wear? Is there anything on the far side of the moon? Did you walk around it? Did you know that the moon is Earth's only natural satellite? Pops lets us stay up sometimes to look at the sky - Would I be able to see you on the moon?”

“Uuuh…” Luther looked like a deer in the headlights, “You’re very smart--”

“I know.” She said and climbed onto his lap. 

“Do you have any moon rocks?” Theo interjected. 

Their uncles face lit up “Yes! Actually, I do.” he pulled out a few small samples he had in his pocket and held them out. 

“Whoa!” Both children leaned in to look at them, Daisy gripped onto his wrist so she could get right next to his hand, 

“You can, uh - you guys can have these, if you want.”

“Wow!”

“Thanks, uncle Luther.” 

Both children picked a moon rock and inspected it, happily. Luther didn’t miss the competitive glare that Diego shot across the room from him and he allowed himself to smile triumphantly. He won the first round. 

They sat for a while and he tried to field as many questions as he could, however, Daisy moved through topics so fast that sometimes she forgot which questions she had asked. When Luther felt a little more comfortable he spoke up, “Hey, why do you guys call Klaus- Uh- Your dad ‘Mom’?”

Theo shrugged, “I don’t know, he’s always been ‘mom’”

“Yup! Alway Mom!”

On the other side of the room, Diego leaned into his brother’s space, “Hey, what do you think about this new guy? Five said something about him being kicked out of the commission.” He nodded discreetly to where Dave was unwrapping a spool of wire. Dave definitely didn’t miss the gesture but he didn’t acknowledge it either.

“Who cares? He seems like a great dad and seems to really care about Klaus. You don’t know that scum that our brother used to cycle through…”

“Yeah, I do - I met them and I saw the damage.”

Ben scoffed “You don’t know the half of it.” He leaned over the toddler “Hey, buddy, are you getting sleepy yet?”

Little Ben stood up and then promptly plopped back down with a little noise of protest, he had a few toys and books around him to keep him busy and he grabbed through them one by one. He picked up a book, a small children’s animal pop up book and held it up. First looking at Ben then turning the other way and smacking it down in front of his uncle Diego. 

“He wants you to read to him.”

Diego sighed and picked up the book, he flipped through the first page and said unenthusiastically, “The cow on the farm goes ‘moo’” He flipped through the book, “Man, this book is shit - does he actually want to read this?”

“Not the way you read it - “ Ghost Ben grabbed the book and got down on his nephew’s level. “The cow on the farm goes ‘Moooo!’” He imitated an actual cow mooing and flipped it over revealing the animated bovine that popped from the page. 

Little Ben cackled and clapped his hands. 

Sick of losing Diego snatched the book from his brother’s hands “Give me that.” he snapped and went to the next page.

“The chicken in the coop goes ‘bwok bwok!” He imitated the bird and flapped the book’s pages like wings. Little Ben decided this was the funniest thing he had ever seen. 

Across the room Daisy pulled on her uncle’s sleeve “How far could you throw me?” She asked excitedly as an idea lit up her face. 

“Hmm.. Probably pretty far.”

“Can we try it!?  
”   
Luther looked up at the high ceilings and after a quick calculation decided that it could probably be done. 

“Okay, but just once..”

She shrieked in happiness and jumped up on the couch. Luther seemed just as surprised by his own newfound ability to have fun. He picked her up and with one smooth transition launched her straight up 8 feet. She screamed and as she landed easily in his arms, the superhero leaning down so that she wasn’t jostled, she giggled uncontrollably. 

“Show off!” Diego accused.

He ignored him and turned to Theo, “Do you want to try?”

The boy seemed taken aback, “Do you think you could throw me?”

Luther made a ‘look who you’re talking to’ face. Theo jumped up and Luther situated him safely then tossed him upwards. He went about 6 feet in the air but screamed the whole way up. “Oh my god!” He yelled as Luther caught him and set him down on the floor. 

It was the children’s third time being thrown in the air while their uncle Ben and Uncle Diego started having a full on imitation war between a duck and dog, when the noise reached a crescendo and Allison stepped out from the upstairs bedroom, “What in the world is going on?” They quieted down but most of the commotion didn’t end. Allison turned back to the room and said something before coming out and closing the door behind her. 

She came down the stairs, her arms crossed and her face stuck in perpetual amusement. She moved next to Dave who had just completely stopped moving entirely, watching the scene unfold around him. 

“I’ve lost control of the situation.”

She smirked knowingly and patted his arm, “Yeah, that happens around here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


	11. Ben (The other one)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into Ben's ever constant presence in Klaus' life even when he wasn't there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one's a little different and a little darker but I will probably get back into the plot next chapter. I hope that you enjoy it, anyway.

“Hey, bro…” Ben leaned over the hospital bed as Klaus began to stir. It was in the middle of the night but, hey, it’s not like ghosts had to sleep. He was thankful that his brother could see him, the thought of being lost all together in the void sent him spiraling in terror. However, he had barely been dead 3 days before his brother cracked. Ben, now being in an omniscient point of view that he never had before saw everything and it just made him burn with anger. At his father, at their siblings and yes, at Klaus.

Klaus gazed around the dim, empty and cold room. He looked up at the heart monitor and at the IVs in his arm then he finally let his eyes drop on Ben. 

He didn’t say anything. 

“Dad… Didn’t want you in the infirmary - but you can go back when they discharge you. He- uh- Everyone else is on a mission, they really wanted to come visit you.” That was a lie, the only one of their siblings who seemed to want to come with him had been Vanya and of course she had been scolded by their father and ordered to stay in her room. The rest were so blinded by grief that when Klaus dropped it all just turned to anger. “But Dad said that they can see you when you get back.”

Honestly Ben was worried that going back to see their siblings would do more harm than good at this point.

“Why didn’t it work?” Klaus’ voice was raw and weak. 

“I don’t know.” Ben admitted “But I’m glad it didn’t.” He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, “You deserve to live, Klaus! I want to see you have a life… The life that I can’t have..”

“Did I…?”

“Yeah, your heart stopped for a while then you came back.”

Suddenly he started shaking and his eyes went wide with fear, the heart monitor began to move faster. 

“Reginald doesn’t know. It all happened in the ambulance.” Ben reassured him quickly. 

Klaus let out a shaky breath and he settled back down onto the stiff pillow. He closed his eyes as tears began to fall down his face. He went silent. 

“Klaus-” Ben tried to grab his hand but it just phased through, “Hey, come on, look at me.” His brother kept his eyes squeezed shut, but Ben knew that he could hear him so he just continued “Look, you’re gonna be okay! And I’m not going to leave you - no matter what. I’m sorry I died but at least now I can look out for you in some ways. Don’t give up, okay? You’re not alone- I’ll be here, I promise.”

**********************************************************************************************

Theo had decided that he was just not going to sleep tonight and that was that. Klaus didn’t know what the hell he was doing wrong, or why the baby had become so fussy. Every time they got him down he would wake up not long after. 

It was 1 in the morning and when he woke up again he screamed and wiggled and fought his father, Klaus, felt so stupid and so helpless that he couldn’t even comfort his own son. Dave was struggling too but he was taking everything in stride, he said “Sometimes babies are just like this, he’s not sick and that’s the most important thing.”

Dave had wanted to just take care of everything, he had offered because Klaus was just now recovering from his bullet wound and he was still having migraines nearly every day. But he wanted to be a part of his baby’s life! It seemed like such a Reginald move to have a child then just force someone else to take care of it. Klaus loved Theo and he wanted to be good so why was everything so goddamn difficult?

“Angel, I’ve got him. Go, get some fresh air.”

Klaus rubbed his face and backed away, he snatched a pack of cigarettes from the counter and went through the back sliding doors to the little concrete patio in the backyard. WIth shaking hands he lit the smoke and took a long much needed drag of nicotine. 

He was sober, and he wanted to be, he refused anything else because he didn’t want Theo to be raised by a drug addict, an alcoholic. But that didn’t change the fact that he wanted a drink so badly at that moment that he felt like he needed to bash his head against the ground.

He curled his legs up and hugged them to his chest, looking around at the clear night sky. The sky was so much clearer here and the air was so much easier to breathe, although he missed the sounds of the big city. 

“Ben?”

He laughed to himself as, of course, there was no answer. He had been yelled at by his siblings over and over again throughout the years for talking to Ben ‘for attention’ or just because he was hallucinating. Now, here he was, talking to the air. For once in his life no one was there over his shoulder. 

“Ben, I can’t do this..”

…

“What the hell was I thinking? I don’t know how to be a father! God, I want to pop every pill in the world right now. I’m so stupid to drag Dave and Theo into this… What was I thinking?”

…

“But what’s the other option, though? I get the hell out of here, go to the nearest bar and just get fucked?” Klaus groaned, that sounded so good right now. “ I could do that. Dave is a good man, he’ll take care of him.. And he deserves better than me.”

…

“Like mother, like son, right?” He sucked in another lungful of smoke and closed his eyes. 

....

“Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.”

He finished the cigarette and smashed it against the concrete. He rocked back and forth until the motion made him dizzy. “Tell me what to do, Ben...”

The sounds of the country filled the air around him, as did the varying ghosts that were beginning to roam into their backyard at the sound of his voice. None of them had anything constructive to say, they just moaned and yelled his name. 

His head fell back against the house and he bolted forward, “Christ on a cracker!” He grabbed his very tender skull and rolled over, squeezing his eyes shut. “Fuck…”

“Goddamnit Ben, why’d you let me do that?”

….

He started laughing. He didn’t know why but suddenly, from his place curled up in the backyard it all seemed too ridiculous. He started the clumsy process of standing back up and he leaned back, staring at the sky with one hand still pressing the back of his head. 

…

“Fuck it - I’ll die before I leave my baby.”

…

“Thanks Ben.”

Klaus went back inside. 

******************************************************************************************

Klaus let his forehead smack lightly against the cold white walls of their local hospital. Theo was at his grandparents house for the night and Dave, poor Dave, was sitting in the little two person seat next to the maternity ward staring blankly at the water scene painting in front of him. And Daisy, their little Daisy, was being kept inside the next room in her own little area. They thought she was getting stable but obviously since they had to rush her back to this place, they had been wrong. 

Klaus moved farther away and peaked into the minimal viewing area that they had, he could see where she was but the nurses and doctors blocked him from actually seeing her face. Klaus turned away from the hallway and rested his head against the window, they probably wouldn’t like that but then again, maybe they wouldn’t give a shit. 

He covered his mouth and let out a quiet sob, his eyes straining to get a glimpse of her. He was beginning to feel himself spiraling out of control when a cautious touch on his arm made him jump. A young nurse gave him a gentle smile, “Is there anything I can get for you, sir?” She asked in the kindest voice. 

Klaus quickly tried to pull himself together, “Uh- yeah, actually, is there a place I can smoke around here?” He hadn’t been smoking very much lately but who gives a shit in this situation, right?

She nodded, “Down the hall and to the left will take you out back.”

“Thank you- Thanks.”

“Of course, sir.”

He shot a look at Dave and lifted up a cigarette. Dave nodded then went back to looking at the cheap painting.

“Out back” was just a small offshoot of the main parking lot with a dumpster and empty boxes scattered around. It honestly reminded him of some of his old hands. The air was chilly and he was thankful for the numbing effect it had on his body and he lit one up and took a drag. 

“Ben?”

…

“Ben, she can’t die, right? I- I can’t deal with that, there would be nothing- I mean, how do you even handle that?”

…

The cigarette bounced between his fingers and he kept in close to his mouth, his breath coming out shaky. He collapsed against the steps and began to sob, he pressed his jacket against his mouth to drown out the sound. 

…

“I can’t do this.”

…

“This is hell, this is literal hell. Fuck--” He whimpered, “Fuck- I can’t handle this - I’m going for a walk.”

…

He threw the cigarette down and stomped off. He was 20 feet away when he groaned and threw his arms up and stomped back to the stairs and sat back down. He pulled another smoke from his pocket and lit it up. 

…

“Weak.”

…

“She’s going to be okay - She’s not like me - She’s tough, she’s tough as nails.”

…

He roughly rubbed his face and whined “I know, I know - get it together, Klaus. That’s what you’d say - That’s what you always say.”

…

“Tell me it’s going to be okay, Ben.”

…

Klaus nodded at the empty air, “Yeah, you’re right, it’s gonna be okay.”

The door behind him opened and Dave poked his head out, “They want to talk to us.” Is all he said. He reached out and Klaus did the same, they held each other’s hand for a brief moment. 

Klaus threw the cigarette down “Thank you, Ben.” He whispered then headed back into the hospital. 

**********************************************************************************************

It was late in the evening and little Ben had woken up, Klaus had first shift that night so he changed him then, afraid that he would wake the other children up, took him outside in the cool spring air. They had a nice little table and chair set up in the middle of the yard. It was perfect for nights like this one where the temperature was perfect and the sky was brilliantly clear. 

Little Ben was wrapped up in a blanket and was fussing inside, his little face all screwed up in concentration. He was still crying off and on but Klaus bounced him lightly against his chest and hummed and eventually he calmed down. 

Klaus looked up at the sky, “Hey, Ben.”

…

“I know I only talk to you when it’s bad but I just wanted to let you know that I’m okay.” He glanced down at the baby as his eyes began to droop against his chest. “We’re okay.”

…

“You know how much I hate this, so don’t rub it in my face but - Fiiine, you were right… You were always right and I’m sorry I made it so difficult.”

…

…

“I miss you, Ben, I wish you could see all this.” He looked down and little Ben had fallen asleep again 

…

“Well, better get back inside, Benny boy - Life’s waiting.”

He waved his “GOOD BYE” hand at the sky and went back into the house. 

********************************************************************************************

After Theo turned the last page the night before he realized what a bad idea it had been to read this tell all memoir. He couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night, the things she described had been messed up and disturbing at times but the passages about his father left him reeling. 

Theo knew that if mom found him, he would be furious, probably pretty hurt too but he couldn’t focus and after being up all night reading his Aunt Vanya’s book, this was the first place he wanted to go. As if he wanted to see some proof for himself of what she was talking about.

He was conflicted, on one hand he felt shameful, he had pulled back the veil on his father’s most personal trauma and he betrayed his mom’s trust. On the other hand, however, he felt lost and a little betrayed. His mom never seemed to hide anything from them, he always knew that his father had been an addict, that he had been a prostitute and had done some terrible things and met some terrible people. But when he spoke about this - it was always as a passing joke or a warning. 

Theo had always gone along with it and assumed he knew everything about his mom but now he felt like he didn’t even know who he was anymore. Was mom faking it? Because the person his aunt Vanya described was not his mom. His mom held him when he was scared and cried when he got hurt, and cried when he accomplished something and cried- look, he was an emotional guy when it came to his kids. He wasn’t hollow, selfish, or cruel. 

Theo closed the door gently behind him and inspected his father’s childhood room, he looked through the many pictures of trippy and psychedelic art tacked to the wall like they would tell him anything. He thought that the writing on the walls, scrawled deeply into the wallpaper, would give him something but it was just scattered thoughts and desperate pleas for help. Fragments of disturbed poetry and words that meant nothing without context. 

He pulled one of the pillows to his chest and hugged it. This was his father’s old life - why did this bother Theo so much? Why did he feel so betrayed? He knew he really shouldn’t but he couldn’t help the anger bubbling up in his chest. 

He picked up a stuffed unicorn and moved it around in his hands. Daisy would love this. Something crinkled inside the cotton and he felt around for a small tear in the neck, he poked his fingers inside and slowly pulled a hidden baggy of pills from the toy. His heart sank and he stared at them, not sure how to feel. 

“Put those down, right now.”

Theo dropped the unicorn and the pills and his whole body seemed to jump backwards. Sitting on the desk his uncle Ben sat staring at him intently, all blue and partially see through. 

“I- I wasn’t going to--”

He shrank against his uncle’s glare, “Please don’t tell mom and pops..”

“I won’t as long as you take those pills and flush them down the toilet.”

He did so immediately, he didn’t even want to look at the pills. They scared him and he wanted to get rid of them. 

“I’m sorry.”

His uncle Ben seemed to relax as soon as the drugs were washed away, “Look, kid, you don’t want that.” He said solemnly. 

“I don’t!” Theo insisted, “I just wanted to look around - I - Read Aunt Vanya’s book last night and..”

Understanding washed over Ben’s face, “Ah- I see and what did you think about it?”

Theo sat on the bed, holding the unicorn plushie in his hands and inspecting it, “It was pretty messed up.”

“Yeah.”

“I thought I knew mom but now I feel like - I don’t know. I mean, I get it, he probably doesn’t want to tell me all of that- and like the whole --” He cringed thinking about ‘that’ moment in his father’s life. When he read it he had thrown the book down and walked away. Only to come back a few minutes later and pick it up again. 

“Yeah, I bet he doesn’t want to tell you those things. You’re a little young to be dealing with this but look, you already read the book, this is something that you need to talk to your mom about.”

Theo shook his head. 

“That was some heavy shit in there and life can be full of awful, scary things and sometimes we don’t rise to the occasion. It’s up to you, I won’t tell him anything, you can trust me but before you shut all this away and keep it bottled inside I need you to know something.”

“What?”

“Your father is not a mean person, he never was, and all the things he has been through only made him more empathetic and kind. I know that it’s scary to think about but you can learn from his pain and his mistakes. Life can get pretty tough but I know that he loves you very much and so does your pops and there’s nothing that could ever change that. That’s something my family never had, don’t be afraid to take advantage of the blessings that you have.”

Theo thought silently for several moments, “You’re really wise, uncle Ben.”

The ghost smirked, “Yeah, it’s from all the years dealing with your father’s bullshit.”

Theo laughed but it trailed off, “He wouldn’t - he would do that again, would he?” The thought of having to bury his mom, that all the jokes and the fun manic nature hid pain that Theo couldn’t save him from made him want to cry. Had kept him up all night. 

Ben shook his head, “I don’t think so. He was in a very bad place. Drugs, mental illness, grief and trauma all wrapped up into one horrible moment. But, I think he’s okay now and you can always just ask him.”

“He’s just going to say that he’s ‘okay’, like he always does.”

“Then tell him that, I could do it but I guarantee that he’s going to listen to you more than he will me.”

Theo nodded, “Thanks, uncle Ben.”

“Hey, I’m sorry I wasn’t around, I love you though- You’ve turned out pretty damn good.”

Theo silently opened the door, terrified that his parents would hear the squeaking of the locked door. Just outside he stopped and listened. He exhaled as he heard his mom downstairs. At the top of the stairs he laughed as he saw the scene taking place below him. 

“Daisy, no, listen to me - the sentence ‘You’re 8 and you cannot use a flamethrower’ is a full statement that needs no explanation.”

“But I made it!” His sister stomped and swung her homemade weapon around. She was about to throw a tantrum but luckily Pops came in from the kitchen and after pointing out American weapon registration laws she conceded and gave him the flame thrower. Stomping off. She was stubborn but she could recognize a sound argument. 

Mom called after her “And don’t let me catch you reading ‘Art of War’ again! Wait till you’re 10!” She groaned loudly from the living room. 

Mom turned to Pops, “I don’t think we’re going to make it.” Pops laughed and went back into the kitchen. 

“Theo! There you are! I was getting worried - Hey, you look tired, are you feeling okay?”

The 13 year old didn’t say anything but he moved down the stairs and just hugged his father. Klaus seemed a little taken aback but quickly wrapped him up against his chest, rubbing his back. Theo didn’t let go and just shut his eyes. 

“Are you okay, mom?”

“Oh, Theo, I’m okay.”

“Please don’t lie to me about that.”

Klaus sighed, “I’m doing better than I was yesterday, I promise. It’s so sweet that you worry about me and I don’t mean to just brush that off, okay?”

Theo nodded.

Over his shoulder Klaus gave Dave a concerned look, and he came around and put a hand on his son’s back. 

“Hey, buddy, what’s going on?”

“I just- I don’t want you guys to go anywhere..”

Dave pulled both of them into his own embrace, letting the moment hang there for a while. Then he pulled Theo away to look at his face, Klaus kept a hand on his shoulder, “Listen to me, we aren’t going anywhere, okay? We love you so much.”

Theo nodded, closing his eyes tightly. 

****************************************************************

Before they left for Vanya’s, Klaus found Ben in the study. His brother finished the page he was reading and looked up. 

“You know, I hate to say it, Klaus, But you did a really good job with those kids.”

“Why thank you, brother. Speaking of which, do you know what that was all about back there?” He gestured vaguely behind him. 

Ben shrugged, “No idea, must be just teen stuff.”

“Hm.”

“I missed you, Ben, more than you could possibly know.” He admitted, out of nowhere.

Ben smirked, “I know you did, just don’t get all sappy on me.”

“Ugh, I’m old and weepy, benny boy. So sensitive these days.”

“You were old and weepy when you were 10.” Ben tossed a book at him and he dodged it easily, “Now, go make sure your daughter isn’t lighting something on fire.”

“Oh, god, she probably is. We’re going to see Vanya, you should come with us.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m on my way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was actually just supposed to be the beginnning of another chapter but it got away from me! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	12. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five has always tried to protect his brother, even when he drives him nuts or cracks the timeline into pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This one's a little different - Not nearly enough Klaus for my taste but I hope that you enjoy it anyway and it doesn't get too dense.  
> Thanks for reading!

“Let me guess, Six and Three already kicked you out of their rooms?” Five glanced down over the edge of his book to where Four had collapsed dramatically on the floor. He hadn’t knocked, of course, he had just waltzed right in and found a spot next to Five’s bed.

“Yup.” He tugged on Five’s shoelaces.

Five kicked him away, “What about Two?”

Four sighed, “Dad’s got him.”

Five looked at the clock on the wall, it was an hour past their bedtime, and he was already in danger of being caught up reading. Four being here would only make that risk higher. “Here’s an idea, how about you, Four, go into your own room and go to sleep for once.”

“Hmm, let me think, nah, I don’t think I will.” He pulled on the laces again and was pushed away by Five’s foot. He retaliated by just grabbing his brother’s leg and holding on.

“Get off of me!” Five snapped.

He didn’t let go and Five threw his book to the side and shoved Four away. The lanky kid tumbled away laughing. In complete defiance stood back up and jumped on Five’s bed, plopping down comfortably.

“Go away!” He groaned as Four pulled a pillow to his chest and made himself at home.

“What are you reading?” He snatched the book up, “Ooh, Art of War – That’s fun – I thought the ending was a bit of a bummer but good on you.”

Five took the book back and started smacking him with it. Four cackled and used the pillow to block and hit back. They wrestled for several minutes, kicking and smacking at each other. Five gained the advantage and got on his knees; He began beating his brother in earnest with the pillow and despite his desire to be left alone, found himself laughing at the way Four yelled and called for a time out.

With one last victory blow Five threw his brother off the bed and toppling to the floor. Four giggled and hugged himself while Five stared at him and smiled. He tossed a few more pillows at Four “And stay down!”

Both children jumped as they heard the soft clicking of heels against the hall floor, Fours’ eyes flashed with terror, a look that Five didn’t miss.

“Get under the bed.” Four crawled underneath the bed and with a few quick teleports Five was under the covers and the lights were off.

Grace opened the door, her head tilted kindly, “Five, dear, I heard a crash. Is everything okay?’

Five opened his eyes and pretended to be sleepy, “I fell out of the bed, but I’m not hurt.”

Grace smiled, “I’m glad you’re not hurt, dear.” 

She glanced around the room, “Have you seen Four? Your father is looking for him.”

“He told me he was going to the kitchen.”

“Thank you, dear. Sleep well!” She left and closed the door.

The room fell dark.

“Thanks…” Four was obviously attempting to hide the shakiness in his voice.

Five turned the lamp back on.

“Are you going back to your room now?”

There wasn’t an answer.

Five sighed, “You need to grow up, Four.”

Silence.

“Fine but you better be quiet.”  
“Yay!” Four shot out from under the bed and in less than 10 seconds was under the covers with a shit eating grin.

“I love you.”

“I’ll throw you out the window.”

Four hummed and closed his eyes. Five grumbled. He hated it when Two did night training, he wasn’t good at this but it was better than hearing his brother’s night terrors for the rest of the night. 

************************************************************************

Five put his head down and began to type away at his assignment. He was surprised that the handler didn’t just kill him outright and the fact that she was being so nice meant that she still needed him for something.

The situation wasn’t good and of course he was here picking up the pieces from Klaus’ escapades through time. He angrily hit the keys; his mind was racing on how to fix this mess. The timeline was shattered, the apocalypse was still on and there were three children who should not be alive, much less roaming around through time. He hated it but they were family and he would have to figure out some way to appease the commission.

A scroll popped into his drop box. He snatched it up and read through it.

Duck,  
XOXO  
B.D.K

Five bolted under the desk as a bullet penetrated the air where his head had been just a split second before. He rolled away and began to run down the hall, people were screaming and beginning to run around in panic. He still needed to find the instructions in order to find out how to prevent the apocalypse.

In the windows he saw the man shot at him, a stalking presence now moving past the windows with a white bunny mask covering his face.

A firm hand grabbed his arm and swung him into a small closet. He threw a punch, but the mysterious man blocked it and dodged out of the way of the kick he aimed right after.

“Hey, I just saved you. Settle down!”

They struggled for a few seconds as Five tried without luck to gain the upper hand, but he gave up, now furious that someone had obviously blown his cover.

The man was in casual street clothes and a ghost face mask that seemed particularly taunting to number Five.

“Who the hell are you?”

The man put his palms up, “Listen to me, I’m on your side.”

“I asked you who you are!”

“It’s a little confusing. Don’t worry about it. What you do need to worry about is the fact that the handler is on to you and your extracurricular activities. Pitting Hazel against Cha-Cha? That was inspired. Up top.” He held up his hand for a high five. It wasn’t reciprocated.

“How did she figure it out?” Five snarled.

“ Cause you ate the candy, man. You’re being tracked.” The man poked his belly and Five slapped at him furiously.

“Speaking of which-“ He waved a device that Five had never seen before over his chest- It beeped and flashed green “That should disable it. Sorry, I couldn’t get here sooner to do that.”

“So, I’m guessing that was the handler that just tried to take me out?” Five was incredulous.

“Oh Mr. Bunny- man? No, that’s just an old grudge – My mom burnt off half his face off trying to get me back- It’s a long story – No, but she’s on her way.”

“Do I know you?”

The man bounced back and forth from foot to foot for a moment, “Ah- Kind of? So, I’m currently also existing in the timeline that you’re trying to get back to so that’s why all this—” He waved his hand over his mask “But, I’m from the future and the past; Now the present and I’m here to help you by existing in a looping pocket dimension to take fulfill of a necessary looping outcome.”

Five seethed, “That’s not possible. The calculations on something that that would never work.”

“They would if you were smarter.”

The man stared him down as Five’s face turned red.

Ghost man snorted, “I’m just kidding. I have no idea how any of this shit works. My sister slapped this puppy on me- “He slapped the band around his arm “And told me not to fuck up.   
Look man, I’m just the messenger. So, here you go- “

He pulled out a scroll. Five snatched it from him and read the message.

“Protect Harold Jenkins”

Five repeated the words under his breath. 

“Yup- That’s their plan to keep the apocalypse running on time.”

“Why are you giving me this?”

“Because we don’t leave people behind, Un- I mean, Five.” The man cleared his throat. “Also, I am supposed to give you this.” He pulled a massive book out of his back and plopped it in his arms.

“What the hell?”

“It’s a loop thing- My sister wrote that book, but you taught her about quantum physics – so now you get the book so she can teach you so you can, in turn, teach her. I think. Look, it’s weird, okay.”

Five lunged forward and grabbed the man by the front of his shirt and pushed him against the wall, “Enough with the cryptic bullshit, just tell me who you are and what’s going on before I gut you right here.” He snarled.

The man laughed, “You won’t kill me. Listen.” He started pulling Five’s fingers off his shirt one by one, “I get that hindsight is 20/20 but you’re going to be okay – And you’re not alone anymore – In fact, you never really were. Lighten up, old man. It’s all going to work out in the end.”

“How dare you-“

“I’m not having this argument with you again Un- uh- Five. I’ll cover you, just get back there and cover your tracks.”

He patted Five’s head and moved past him.

“Again?”

Before Five could do anything ghost face had already gone out the door and just jumped directly into what sounded like a fire fight. Five was reeling, but he did have what he came here to get. He bolted out, the mysterious man was providing him cover as he went down the hall.  
He heard a crash and an explosion- Five snapped his head around in time to see the wall came apart around ghost face. “Christ on a Cracker!” The man snapped and rolled away.

Five paused. Then he moved on.

********************************************************************* 

When Five came back to 2019 and his father’s house he expected everyone to be there. He showed up next to the bar area where they usually have their meetings, but it was empty. There was a bullet wound leaking a steady amount of blood from his side.

His shoulders dropped and he drug his feet over to the bar where he poured himself a drink.   
And then another one.

“Rough night?”

Five turned around to see David Katz walking up to him.

“Where is everyone? The apocalypse is in two days.” He gulped down the last of his second drink and wiped his mouth, “Not that anyone seems to give a shit.”

“Klaus and Allison went to see Vanya. The guys? I’m not sure.”

Five poured another drink but before he could get it to his mouth Dave gently slipped it out and moved it down the bar, “Easy, like you said, the apocalypse is still on – we’re going to need your help. Plus, it’s weird seeing a 13-year-old get wasted – just throws up alarms.”

Five sneered at him, “Just because you can manipulate my brother into getting sober doesn’t mean you get to police what I drink, Katz.”

The other man laughed, “Manipulate? He made that decision on his own- Then he followed through with it. I didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“Like I believe that.”

Dave watched him, Five didn’t break eye contact.

“Do you have something to say to me, Five?”

“Yeah. I do. I read your file – You went AWOL from the commission and tried to just go back to your original timeline then they tried to kill you, which you should have been expecting. Then, what, you shack up with my brother, you crack the timeline 3 times and I’m just supposed to believe that you don’t have an ulterior motive?”

Dave sighed, “Like what?”

“I don’t know but I’ll find out.”

Dave sat down and rolled a bottle in his hands absently, “Look, I don’t what kind of long-con you think I’m pulling but I assure you this is all real. Look, I didn’t plan for Klaus to fall out of the sky in the middle of war and I damn well didn’t expect to fall in love with him. “

“That’s rich.”

“It is rich, Five, that’s why I left the commission – I wasn’t cut out for it. They put all these dehumanizing thoughts in your head – they turn you into the most violent kind of corporate rat then they kill you. That’s it. I knew they were going to kill me. That’s why I went to Vietnam – So at least my parents would have some kind of closure. Then I met Klaus – and everything else just happened…”

Five chuckled humorlessly, “No offense, Katz, but I wouldn’t trust Klaus to pick out a murderer from a lineup if he had a knife to his throat – Any shmuck can charm someone who’s desperate to be loved.”

“Jesus Christ, Five – Give him more credit than that! You know damn well if I ever betrayed those kids, he’d snap my neck and never look back.”

“Bullshit!” Five snapped.

Dave groaned and rubbed his face, “Fifteen years, Five- For fifteen years I have loved your brother. We have been through war, sickness, death. We’ve fought, we’ve made love, we’ve raised three perfect children. We’ve been through all the tedious day to day life that drudges on and then goes away too fast and not once have I ever wanted to face it with anybody other than   
Klaus.”

He leaned forward to get close to his brother in law’s face “Klaus pulled me from the brink of death – I went from accepting that I was going to die to facing a full and happy life all because he gave me a chance. He saw all the confliction and all the regrets, then he told me I was sweet. He told me I was special. Then he lived every day showing me that I deserved to be given a second chance. If anyone is prone to being conned, it’s me because I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.”

Five glowered at the floor.

Dave continued, “But I know you love your brother, I know you’re protective of him so go ahead, give me the shovel talk. But don’t ever say I don’t love him or that my children are some tools in order to gain, what? Revenge against the commission? The commission can go fuck   
themselves.”

Five sighed and stared at his empty glass for several awkward moments before glancing back up at Dave. “If you ever hurt my brother or my nephews or my niece – I will rip your lungs out of your body.”

Dave smirked and held his hand out, “That’s fair, Five.”

Five begrudgingly shook his hand.

“I’m glad we got that settled.” He smiled began to walk away.

Five looked out to the rest of the room the toddler caught his eye and as if counting that as   
permission jumped up from his spot on the rug and meandered over to his uncle. He stumbled toward him and reached out his hands.

Five raised his eyebrows skeptically.

“Dave. What’s this one’s name?”

The child’s father glanced over, “ ’That one’ is Ben.”

“What’s his full name?”

“Benjamin Diego Katz.” Dave walked away into the next room.

Five groaned loudly and smacked his head against the counter, he mumbled lightly to himself 

“Benjami- B.D.K..”

He picked up the toddler and held him out, “Now, you listen here you little shit- “

Ben reached out and squeezed his nose, unphased. 

********************************************************************************

“I love you, Aunt Vanya.”

Daisy was staring up at Vanya with big, sincere eyes. This little girl meant what she just said with every fiber of her being and Vanya felt like she had been hit by a truck. Vanya reached down and pushed one of her curls out of her face.

“I love you too.” She said, hoping that she was expressing the same amount. 

Vanya turned back to her brother Klaus, he was sitting on her couch, next to him Allson and her nephew Theo watched this interaction. She had been getting up to get something to drink, this had all been quite a shock, but she ended up just sitting back down. 

She couldn’t get over how clear and sharp her brother’s eyes were now. It amazed her that she felt like she hadn’t had a real conversation with him since he was 10. She couldn’t process how familiar and comfortable these children were with her - how they just ran up and hugged her like she had been in their lives the whole time. 

Then Klaus had hugged her. A big, strong hug. No shaking or mumbling or unstable laugh. It had been like it was when they were children, only better, she thought. 

“So, what were you coming over to the academy to tell everyone? Can we get the scoop?” Klaus asked, seeming genuinely curious. 

When they ran into Vanya she was already walking to the mansion with Leonard. Of course, when they found her and told her everything she decided to take them back to her place. Leonard seemed uncomfortable with the whole situation, which she didn’t blame him for, so he smiled politely and went on with his day. 

She hesitated, “I- got first seat, for the concert this week. I’ve been trying to get it for a really long time- I thought - I wanted to tell you guys.”

Allison clapped, “That’s amazing!”

“Vanya, that’s fantastic - are there any seats open to watch?”

“And how many?” Allison laughed, “We’ve got a pretty big family.”

“I doubt you’ll be able to get everyone, face it, ladies, we have to think about our brother’s health. You know Diego’s head might explode if he listens to anything but lofi grunge rock- Just pointing that out.”

“We can go, right?!” Daisy interjected seriously. 

“Oh, absolutely. We’re not missing it for the world, love.”

“Aunt Vanya, are you okay?” Theo was watching as her face began to turn red. 

She stared at them and a lump formed in her throat, she covered her mouth and closed her eyes. It felt like the world was vibrating around her. She felt Daisy latch on to her middle and she jumped as she felt an unfamiliar hand on her shoulder. She looked up, attempting to blink the tears out of her eyes. Klaus was next to her, he had a strange smile on his face. 

He moved an arm around her and pulled her into his chest. A whimper slid out of her mouth and she cringed, attempting to hold everything inside. 

“Vanya, we’re so proud of you.”

Allison knelt down and took her hand, “I know we haven’t been here for you but we want to be better, sis.”

Klaus rubbed her back, “Sshh.. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. Let it out.”

Theo would recognize this as his mom’s ‘Therapy’ voice but it worked and Vanya began to sob. Klaus held her there for a long time, Daisy refused to let go of her middle and Allison squeezed her hands. 

“We’re so proud of you-” He pulled her away after a while to face her, “You’re so strong and you put up with so much from us jackasses over the years.” He looked at Allison and she nodded, “ But we’re not leaving anyone behind, anymore, understand?”

Vanya nodded. 

Theo glanced around, he didn’t really want to interrupt this beautiful moment but things began to shake around him. He was about to ask what they should do in the event of an earthquake when Vanya lifted her head and the shaking stopped, she gazed around the room. 

“We’re sorry, Vanya.” Ben leaned over and kissed her head. 

She attempted to compose herself. “That means so much to me - You don’t understand.”

“Nobody gets left behind.” Daisy mirrored her father. 

Then the most insane thing happened. Allsion brought her a drink and they talked. They all just talked, about their lives, about memories living at the academy . Daisy and Theo argued and played around the apartment. Vanya told them about how she got the seat and about how the audition went, she told them about the funny things her students did, she complained about how her neighbor was always losing her cat. 

She didn’t want the day to end, it was like all the daydreams she had over the course of her life came true. But eventually it did come to an end. 

“We better get back to the academy- I hear the apocalypse is still on- I wonder if Five is back..” Klaus mused, “Also, I left Dave with the toddler - Are you coming with us V? I can’t wait for you to meet Dave and little Ben.”

Vanya smiled shyly, “I think I should stay home- This is all--” She waved her hand. 

“A lot?” Klaus offered. 

“Yeah, a lot.”

“Daisy, give your aunt a big hug, we’re going back to the academy.”

The little girl whined and rolled over on the couch dramatically, “I don’t want to go!”

Allison grinned at Klaus, “Wow - I wonder where she got that from.”

“Daisy-”

“If she wants to stay, I don’t mind watching her.” Vanya interjected, she felt a little bold for even offering. “I mean, there’s a lot going on, I’m sure it’s pretty dangerous. 

The 8 year old gasped, “Can I!?”

Klaus smiled and turned to his daughter, “It all depends on how vehemently you convince me that you will behave.”

And vehemently convince she did. 

Before the finally left Klaus turned to Vanya, “Thanks for looking out for her. I’ll drop off some clothes before bedtime. 

“Don’t worry about it - I can buy her something for tonight.”

“You’re sure?”

Vanya nodded, again attempting not to cry. 

Klaus gave her another hug, this time whispering over her shoulder “If you teach my child how to play the drums I will never forgive you.”

Vanya laughed and waved them off. She joined her niece on the couch. The little girl had a large hand bound book in her lap and she was flipping through the pages. 

“What do you have there?”

“This is our story book, mom made it for us - It has all of you guys and all the stuff you did. See- You’re in it too.” She flipped to a specific page and nudged it towards her aunt. 

Vanya inspected the page. It was a hand drawn portrait of her in a profile design like a comic book opening. She had violins and musical notes dancing around her profile. She was wearing an Umbrella Academy mask and next to her face in block, underlined letters it said “SUPER. KIND.”

A small, involuntary “Oh…” Escaped her mouth and she put an arm around Daisy’s shoulders. “Can you read it to me?”


	13. Daisy (Bonus One Shot)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy is different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So I'm rewriting my last chapter that I deleted but I'm back to full time at work so I thought I'd just add this little one shot to pass the time. I hope that you enjoy!

“Nope, you’re staying in the car.” Dave unbuckled his seatbelt and shot a pointed look at his partner who was doing the same.

“Exsqueeze me? And why is that?”

“Because we both know that you lose your temper when it comes to things like this. Just let me go talk to them, figure out what happened, and I’ll be right back out, okay?”

Klaus pouted but stayed in his seat, crossing his arms. “That was one time.” He grumbled.

Dave leaned into his window, “We had to switch schools.” He reminded him.

It seemed to be taking forever so Klaus eventually just got out and leaned against the front entrance of the elementary school. Just 30 minutes previously they had a call from Daisy’s school asking them to come over immediately. The principal’s assistant was very stern and refused to tell them anything over the phone other than it was not a medical emergency.

“Finally...” Klaus said to himself as the doors opened and his partner and daughter came out.

He took one look at them and was kneeling in front of his daughter a second afterwards, “Oh my god! What happened to your face!?” He grabbed her head and inspected the small ring of bruising around her right eye.

“I’m fine.” She snapped and maneuvered out of his grasp, dragging her feet and her barbie backpack to the car.

He spun around on his partner, “David, what the hell happened to my baby’s face?” He seethed.

Dave attempted to hold his wrists, but Klaus pulled his hands away, “Don’t touch me! My baby has a black eye!”

He put his hands up placatingly, “She punched a kid and he punched her back – It was just a little school yard fight. The teachers broke it up and then called us.” His voice was as soft and as even as he could muster trying not to incite Klaus’ rage on the staff.

Klaus stared at him, his mouth left open in disbelief, “She punched someone? Why? What was that kid doing?”

Dave shrugged, “I don’t know. They didn’t look that far into it – just a playground disagreement. She’s suspended for the rest of the week and can come back on Monday.”

“David, this is our little Daisy! She doesn’t just punch people – I want to know what that little punk was saying to her.” He turned towards the front door and Dave immediately blocked his path.

“Hey, no, look, getting into a fight with these people is only going to hurt Daisy – I don’t believe that this was nothing either but let’s wait for her to tell us and then go from there. She’s all clammed up, she wouldn’t answer any of my questions.”

Klaus conceded, although not happily and they got back in the car. Daisy was completely silent in the back, pouting. Klaus had to fight the urge to turn around every few seconds to check on her and talk to her.

“Daisy – Sweetie, we’re not mad at you, we just want to know what happened.” Klaus finally caved.

The seven-year-old didn’t respond and just stared out the window. Dave gave his partner a ‘Hey, I warned you’ look but reached over and squeezed his hand.

When they got home, she started crying, it wasn’t a tantrum cry just tears that she couldn’t keep in. She fought them when they made her sit on the counter so that they could check her eye. It was minimal bruising and just a little bit of puffiness but that didn’t stop Klaus from tearing up as he put some cream under the eye.

They gave her the routine ‘you can’t hit other people.’ And ‘you’re grounded for the rest of the week’ talk. Daisy only glared at them and then asked when she could leave. They let her go and she hopped down and went to her room. She closed the door, and everything went quiet. Ruth dropped off Ben 30 minutes later and then they just had to wait.

“How much time do you think we should give her?” Klaus asked. He was slumped down all the way on their living room chair. Diagonal from him Dave was laying down with Ben sleeping on his chest.

Dave shrugged. “I hate that she’s being so quiet – it’s not like her at all.”

The both perked up as they heard the radio coming lightly from her room, Klaus sighed, “Oh thank god—” He pulled himself up on the chair.

They exchanged a glance.

“I’ll keep Ben if you want to go talk to her.” Dave offered.

Klaus nodded and padded lightly to her room, it was the door with the large poster of a Lisa Frank tiger. He knocked lightly.

“Uh-huh.” She sounded a little perkier so that was good, Klaus thought.

He opened the door and peaked inside. Daisy’s room was exactly like her – decorated from the floor to the ceiling in colors that made Pride look dull. They learned very early on that Daisy was all ‘girl’. She was drawn to anything pink or purple and she was obsessed with covering everything with glitter.

She loved dresses and makeup and anything to do with hair. Klaus figured out quickly that the easiest way to keep her out of trouble was to just give her the supplies, sit on the couch and let her imagination go wild. He always came out of it looking like a whole new woman.

They had given up on the library and now Klaus and Dave just took her to thrift store so that she could pick out her own books and then mark them up with whatever notes she wanted. She was leaps and bounds beyond her designated reading level and she would get cranky if her mind wasn’t always occupied with a new challenge.

The algebra books that she collected were in pink covers and their pages were marked with unicorn stickers and glitter pen notes. The automobile manuals that Dave and Frank brought home to her always had their pages covered in pink notes and tiny drawings.

Daisy was sitting on her bed propped up by stuffed animals, her radio that had been painted in pink nail polish a few months ago was playing pop music. In front of her she had what looked like one of Theo’s old transformer action figures – it had been taken apart and all its pieces laid out in order across her bed. She was sketching the individual components in a kitten notebook with a green glitter pen.

“Hey, precious. Are you feeling up to talking about what happened today?”

Daisy shrugged.

“May I come in?”

“Yeah, that’s okay.” He came inside and sat down gently on the bed, careful not to move any of her careful work.

She didn’t look up from her work and he watched as she loosely made a picture and a note on one of the components of the toy she had just demolished. Klaus really hoped this was one of Theo’s old toys that he didn’t want anymore. If not, they were definitely going to hear about it later.

He picked up a small red piece of plastic, “What does this one do?”

“It goes on the arm, see—” She it and then grabbed a curved portion with a cylinder of metal inside, she locked them together to create a hinge “Now this hooks onto the shoulder.” She held it up and clicked it back and forth.”

“That’s cool. So, what did Optimus Prime do to end up like this?”

“This is Ironhide.”

“Oh, My bad.”

She sighed, “I wanted to see how it worked, and Barbie only had five parts.” She lifted up her first choice or what was left of it.

“Jeez, Barbie had a rough night, didn’t she?”

That made Daisy smile a little, “I can put her back together.”

“I know you can- Now which one of those transforming guys is ‘Ironhide’?” He waved in the general direction of the lined-up parts.

“He’s the one with Trithyllium steele skin.” She stumbled through the word and then continued “He has sonar. He has radar. He’s really tough.”

He was always impressed how she worked her way through words that he wouldn’t have even attempted. Also, he just had to trust that she was saying them correctly because he wouldn’t know either way.

“That’s fantastic!” Then he added, “I have no idea what that means.”

She giggled and then picked out a couple more parts – it was coming back together to look like some sort of face.

“Hand me that one.”

He reached over and lifted one up, “This one?”

“No, the one next to it.”

She took it and popped it into place, clicking the joint to make sure that it was still working. Klaus watched her work.

After a few moments she spoke, “Mom?”

“Yeah, love?”

“Is there something wrong with me?” She didn’t look at him and just continued to snap the toy back together.

“What? No, of course there’s nothing wrong with you! What makes you ask that?”

“I feel different – Trevor said I was a weirdo..”

Klaus watched her face and his heart sank. She was different. She was the only girl in a family with two dads and two brothers. She was smarter than the other kids in her class and she was often left out because of her interests. In a room full of people, she was the loudest, most passionate voice in the group.

Dave and Klaus reeled on how they could get her into a specialized private school, they made sure that she was around Ruth and her aunts and cousins as much as possible. They wanted to always be able to connect with her even as she soared. They never wanted her spirit to be tarnished or broken- Unfortunately, she was always going to be the odd one out.

Klaus felt that in many ways, she was a lot like Vanya, and he remembered how both he and his family had treated her. It was a regret that burned him from the inside. The idea of anybody treating his little girl that they had Vanya – It was unthinkable.

“Well, I think Trevor can go...” He trailed off

“I think everybody else thinks that too.” She admitted, popping the transformer’s arm back into a partially built torso. She reached for another piece. Klaus leaned over and gave it to her.

He didn’t know what to say.

“Dais’ you’re such a special person and maybe that makes you a little ‘different’ but that’s not a bad thing. Listen to me, you are smart, you are kind, and you are one of the most fun people I have ever met.”

“There is nothing about you that isn’t completely necessary to being who you are” He poked her lightly to make a point of his words.

“ – whether or not people understand those parts of you or not. And Trevor is probably going through his own shit – don’t repeat that – right now. You don’t need to worry about making everyone like you – the people who matter will find you. I promise.”

“But I liked Trevor...” She admitted, letting the partially assembled toy fall to her lap.

Klaus had never wanted to punch a 6-year-old boy in the throat more than in this moment. He sighed. “I’m so sorry, baby.”

“Is that why you punched him?”

She started crying. She nodded.

Klaus moved to sit next to her and pull her into his lap, struggling to find a spot within the pile of stuffed animals. Even still, the glass eye of a bunny burrowed into his ribcage.  
“Hey, hey, sweetheart. Listen to me, he hurt your feelings and he was being mean but next time just come to Pops and I and we’ll figure something out.”

Truly Klaus wished he could tell if he was helping or hurting the situation.

“Now, I am proud of you for standing up for yourself, but I am contractually obligated as your father to remind you that violence isn’t the answer. Use your words – you have amazing words!”

She nodded, sniffling against her tears. “I’m sorry.”

“I know you are…”

He rocked her back and forth for a while. She was often so independent that despite the situation he reveled in being able to hold her like the baby she was. It was easy to forget sometimes that despite all the things that made her mentally incredible she was just a little girl.

“You know all those things I told you about your Aunt Vanya?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, all those things that made her wonderful, and special and your favorite superhero also made her feel lonely sometimes and it wasn’t always easy for her growing up. You’re very special, Daisy, so no matter what you do, or where you go in life, I want you to know that you’re not alone, okay?”

“Okay, momma.”

They snuggled for a little while longer and Klaus savored every moment of it.

“Now, be good or I’ll start making dinner again.”

“Please don’t.”

The absolute seriousness in her face made him laugh and he set her back on the   
bed. “Brutal. All of you.”

He left her and made his way back to their living room where day was now sitting up with Ben, feeding him. Klaus plopped down on the couch next to them causing Dave and the baby to bounce lightly.

“Everything okay?”

Klaus sighed, “All I know for sure is that ‘Iron hide’ is fucked.”

“Who’s Iron Hide?”

Klaus pulled his legs underneath him and leaned his head against the palm of his hand. He shrugged. “I have no idea.” He paused, “That little punk called her a ‘wierdo’.”

Dave cringed as he wiped the food dribbling out of Ben’s mouth. “You think it’ll become a problem?”

“It better not be, I’ll throw hands with a child, I don’t care.”

Dave chuckled and shook his head.

“Angel, we have the best kids. You know this – she’s going to be past this in no time and then we’ll just be back to getting calls about her arguing with teachers again.”

Klaus groaned and lulled his head back dramatically, “We’ve got to get her into a different school.”

He glanced around, “I don’t know why ol’ Reggie thought he had to torture his kids into being outstanding – I didn’t do anything and I ended up with the next Einstein.”

They both jumped as the front door flew open and Theo bolted inside, swinging his backpack wildly. He slammed the door then peeked outside the small window, breathing heavily, when he was satisfied, he quickly walked past the couch.

“Hi, mom. Hi, Pops.” Then promptly “Bye, pops. Bye, Mom.” As he went into his bedroom and closed the door, still checking over his shoulder.

The men exchanged glances with each other.

“That’s—Probably nothing we need to worry about, right?”

“Probably?” Klaus sat back and crossed his legs, flipping the TV on, “We’re great at this parenting thing.”


	14. Vanya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief look into Vanya and Klaus' story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So, I've binge watched all of season two and all I can say is 'ouch'. Anyway, here is the rewritten Vanya chapter. Also, I think this may be the longest chapter yet and it's mostly plot. I hope that you enjoy!

Seven heard the crying before she even heard her father speak. “Stop sniveling, Number Four. That kind of weakness will get you nowhere.”

She waited around the corner, keeping herself as small as possible until Reginald went back into his office. The 8-year-old tip toed up to the infirmary door and peeked inside.

Four was sitting on the bed, he had a blanket around his shoulders, and he was trembling so hard Seven could hear his teeth gnashing together. Grace moved around him, she was bandaging his hands and his knees. She was whispering words of generic comfort while she tended to his physical wounds. 

They were 8 years old now and were all getting to go on their first personal training sessions, Seven was so jealous but she was excited to hear how Four’s went. One had been so enthusiastic and had told them everything- How fun it was and how he couldn’t wait to do it again, but he kept the contents of the training session to himself – reveling in the personal attention. Two hadn’t said much – He changed the subject and wouldn’t tell Seven anything else. Three had given her a few more hints – She seemed a little annoyed by the whole thing and described a rather boring time.

But Four was so talkative and excitable that Seven knew he would tell her everything, maybe he would even give her hints on what she should do when it was her turn. They had been getting a lot closer, he was always teasing her, and they had even built a secret fort with Six. He had seemed so nervous and excited the day before, maybe looking forward to some one on one time with their father; He was always so desperate for attention. He looked a lot different now.

Grace attempted to give Four a hug, but he flinched away from her touch and pointedly looked at the opposite wall.

Seven waited until Grace left before sneaking into the infirmary. She went up to his bed with an anticipating smile. She had missed Four last night, it had been a lot quieter without his antics and the constant scolding from Reginald.

She put her hands on the edge of the bed, “What happened?”

He didn’t answer. That was strange. Seven had never heard him so quiet.

“What happened?” Seven tried again. This time reaching out a hand to touch his fingers.

“Get away from me!” He screamed and lashed out.

Seven backed away. “I’m sorry – I didn’t mean…” He wouldn’t look at her. Why wouldn’t he look at her?

“I love you, Four.”

The boy rolled over on the bed and covered his face with the blanket. “Go away, Seven.” He said weakly.

Seven huffed and walked away, gripping at the sides of her uniform until her knuckles were white. She ran into her room, crawled into bed and cried. She wished she had said goodbye to him before he left for training.

*******************************************************************************

Vanya turned the corner following the voices that had snagged her attention – or more accurately – one voice who seemed to be talking to someone who wasn’t answering.

“Hey, hey, hey, I’ll go to the doctor. I promise, just- let me rest for one second.” There was a pause “Oh, wow, I hadn’t noticed that! What a groundbreaking observation, professor!” The voice sneered.

Vanya took out her pill bottle and swallowed one dry before meekly going into the alleyway. She gasped when she saw Klaus. He was sitting against the wall with his mouth hanging open, obvious signs of assault littered his body and he was cradling his right arm. Beyond that he was shockingly pale and thin, with sunken in cheeks and bags under his eyes.

He noticed her and groaned, “Oh, you – Fantastic! Just when I thought this day couldn’t get any better…”

“Klaus- What- Were you mugged.”

He glanced at the air. “I fell down the stairs.” He obviously fibbed.

“We need to call the police! Did you see their face?”

Klaus slumped down further, “Great idea- The medical plans in prison are to die for!”

Vanya shifted uncomfortably in place- There was more blood coming from somewhere on his torso. She wouldn’t be able to carry him; she didn’t know what she could do to help him.

“Okay- Then let’s get you to a hospital.” She tried.

Klaus gagged, “Look, sis, I’m going there right now. You don’t need to try to help – unless of course you’re needed more content for your sequel.”

“I want to help you – I don’t want you to die out here.” Her voice was soft and pleading. The effect was completely lost on the addict who seemed to only get more agitated.

“Since when have you cared!? Just go about your life and who knows? Maybe I’ll get lucky and some kind soul will just shoot me and put me out of my misery! Then you can put a nice little tribute in the front of your next book – maybe even dedicate it to me? Hm?”

Vanya backed away, she cringed at his sharp words, “This is the drugs talking. This isn’t my brother.” She seemed to be speaking to the air more than anyone in particular.

Her brother scoffed.

She sighed and placed her hands in her pockets, she didn’t want to cry in front of him, she didn’t want to give in to his taunting. “I’m going to call you an ambulance.”

Klaus shifted forward, “Hey, wait- No, I’m fine! Truly! I’m on my way to my doctor right now, I promise!”

“Okay. Then stand up and walk.” She challenged.

He stared at her – His body now unable to even attempt to prove her wrong as the blood became even more obvious through the fingers of his broken arm.

“Please don’t, Vanya – You know hospitals are hell for me.”

She turned away and walked to the nearest payphone across the street. She left before it arrived, and she would have to see him be carried off kicking and screaming with the last of his strength.

*****************************************************************************

“That’s it. Just make sure to keep your shoulders back and your head steady.” Vanya kept one hand on Daisy’s back and the other helping her steady her violin. They had been practicing for a while now and although her niece seemed eager to learn, she also struggled with focusing. 

After they went through the book that Klaus had written together, Daisy had immediately found Vanya’s instruments and started asking questions. It felt great that Daisy was so interested in discovering all the ends and outs of both the music and the violin. Most of Vanya’s students were most concerned with actually mastering the craft but her niece's questions veered right into the practical. Why did the violin sound like that? How is it made? How do the cords produce different tones? 

There was a knock on the door and Vanya excused herself from their little impromptu training session. She grinned as she opened it and Leonard was standing outside with his hands in his pockets. 

“Hey!”

“Hey, I was just checking in… Did everything go okay with your family today?” He leaned in, his face showing both concern and careful apprehension.

She should have called him but she just got so caught up in all the news, “It was incredible. We had such a good time, we talked, we laughed - I - I have two nephews and another niece! Can you believe that?”

“No... That’s so great, Vanya. Are you working this evening?” He kind of glanced into the apartment. He was referring to the sounds of a shrieking and out of tune attempt at playing the violin that was happening inside. 

“Oh! Klaus let me watch his daughter! I’m trying to teach her how to play- She wanted to- I wouldn’t try to force that on her.”

Leonard nodded, “Do you think it’s going to last? I just would hate for you to get your hopes up and then they turn their back on you again.”

Vanya was worried about that as well, but she was actively trying to ignore those thoughts that said this was only temporary and soon her family would despise her again. Her stomach churned at the idea and she marveled how he seemed to understand her insecurities. 

“I hope not- I mean, maybe. I want to enjoy it while it lasts, at least.” She turned back to glance at Daisy, “I never got to meet Claire - maybe someday I will but even if it all goes to shit I’d like to get to know my Niece and nephews as much as possible.”

With one last shrieking pull on a string Daisy set the violin down and came to stand against her aunt, staring up at the stranger. 

He smiled and gave an understanding nod, “I get it. So, you want to postpone going to the cabin?”

Vanya mentally kicked herself, “Shit! I forgot! Yeah, if that’s okay… I didn’t even think when I offered to look after Daisy and she’s going to be spending the night.”

“That’s fine - I’ll leave you ladies to enjoy the rest of your night.” Vanya grinned proudly but he felt like the little Hargreaves' child was glaring at him. 

They parted with a light kiss and Leonard waved as she shut the door. When he turned around his face fell into a scowl. 

Vanya and Daisy finished off their night curled up on the couch watching TV surrounded by partially eaten bowls of popcorn and snacks. 

*******************************************************************

Theo skirted the bar area where his mom’s family were all gathered arguing profusely on how to stop the apocalypse. They had been going at it for a while, first bickering on the fact that they were running out of time, then bickering that they were wasting time bickering on why they were running out of time. Now they had devolved into arguing about their own individual problems. Theo really hoped his parents had a back up plan because at this rate they were never going to stop the apocalypse. 

He found his pops to be the most amusing adult to watch, usually the one to take charge and have a speech ready, he had been standing on the sidelines with the same mixed look of amusement, confusion, and mild distaste of someone watching a trash can being lit on fire. Mom on the other hand had adapted back into his family life seamlessly and was refereeing at least 3 different viewpoints at a time. 

Theo was actually looking for his sister at the moment. Aunt Vanya had dropped her off earlier that morning but things had gone quiet- Quiet in a way that meant she was up to something. Grandma Grace was supposed to be watching them but he doubted their android grandmother could comprehend the truly destructive power of his sister when she went silent. 

Sure enough, he found her just as she was opening the front door to the mansion. He sprinted up and closed the door. 

“Where do you think you’re going?”

She tried pulling the door open but he was strong enough to hold it closed, “I’m going here!” 

Daisy shoved what seemed to be a phone book page in his face, the name Peabody, Leonard was circled in pink glitter pen. Next to it an address. 

“Who is that?”

“That’s Aunt Vanya’s boyfriend. I don’t like him so I’m going to go check him out.” She said matter of factly, as if this was the most obvious conclusion. 

Theo scoffed, “Dais’, Aunt Vanya is a grown woman. She can take care of herself - Plus, we’re not allowed to leave the house. Now, come on before I tell Pops what you’re up to.” 

She grabbed the page back, “Theo! You don’t understand! I didn’t do this.” She pointed to the circling and the written address. “I found this on my pillow when I got home. Someone is obviously trying to get me to go here so that I can find something on him. He’s creepy and I don’t think he’s good with Aunt Vanya!”

She scratched the back of her neck and squirmed uncomfortably in her shirt. 

“Itchy?”

“A little. But focus! If you come with me we can get in and out real fast. He’s not going to be home! Please!”

Theo groaned, he wouldn’t even be considering this if it weren’t for the fact that he was going stir crazy in this house. It should be large enough and with enough crazy stuff to keep them busy but Pogo had been stopping them nearly every time they went into a room. He didn’t know how the monkey always knew where they were. 

And it was strange that someone left that note on her pillow. 

“Fine. But we have to be back by lunch.”

She cheered. The second they went out the door Theo had a feeling that this was a very bad idea. Granted, that feeling didn’t stop him from going through the city and then to the house of Leonard Peabody. 

They didn’t have to pick the lock, the door was unlocked which had been the most surprising thing. Theo scratched at his arm. He wondered if the sheets of the Umbrella Academy were giving him a rash because he suddenly started itching everywhere.

Theo had assumed that little to nothing was going to come out of this little adventure, he was just desperate to get out and explore. He figured they would go in, snoop around, find nothing, then Daisy would be satisfied and they could go home. 

What he didn’t expect was for them to find a journal written by Reginald Hargreeves. He found it hidden in the bedroom and he skimmed through it. His heart dropped. Aunt Vanya...

“Theo…” Daisy sounded worried. He tucked the book into his jacket

He followed her voice to the attic and he climbed up to join her. She was in the back of the room staring at something he couldn’t make out. He went to stand next to her and his jaw dropped as he saw the bloody hand of a dead body hanging out of a blanket. He took a step back. 

“We-- We need to get mom and pops...”

The children jumped and Daisy grabbed onto her brother’s shirt when they heard someone clearing their throat behind them. 

“So, you must be Number Four’s little brats.” Said Leonard Peabody. 

He tied them up in separate seats and placed them specifically in the middle of the living room as if he were setting up a stage. He took a seat on the couch and stared off angrily at the wall. Fortunately for the children he didn’t have the foresight to gag them. 

“Mom and Pops are going to kill us..” Daisy mumbled. 

“Yeah, no shit they’re going to kill us! Thanks to you!” He angrily whispered back to her. 

“You’re the older brother, you could have stopped me.” She pointed out. 

“Oh, now my seniority matters to you!? That’s convenient!”

Daisy attempted to kick at his shins through the ropes and he did the same. 

“BE QUIET!” Leonard snapped at them. 

Daisy stuck her tongue out at her brother and he glowered at the floor. 

Theo lost track of time after they were tied to chairs but it must have been hours later when he heard their aunt Vanya’s frantic voice coming through the front door. 

“Leonard! We can’t find Theo and Daisy! Klaus and Dave are--” She stopped in the doorway. The children were tied up in the living room while Peabody sat on the couch, his gaze venomous. 

He looked up, “You know, Vanya, if you had tried even a little, this would have gone a lot smoother. I overestimated you.But this will have to be good enough revenge.” He pulled a gun and pointed it at Theo’s head. 

Theo’s thoughts went immediately to the contents of the journal. He closed his eyes. This was not going to be good.

********************************************************************************************

“What the hell were they thinking?” Klaus hissed through his teeth. He sat in the passenger seat of one of Reginald’s old cars, he was biting down on his knuckle while his eyes scanned the city around him. 

Dave was driving, his hands gripped the steering wheel like a vice and he grinded his teeth. He shook his head. They found the footage of their children having a conversation in the foyer and then promptly leaving the house. It was nearly nightfall and they hadn’t found anything. Ben and Sassy were roaming the streets. Klaus was screaming out the open window, just hoping that they would hear them if they were lost. 

Diego, Allison, and Five had left on their own mission looking into stopping the apocalypse and they hadn’t been able to get a hold of them. Vanya had immediately jumped in on the search party and was apparently going to get her new boyfriend to help. 

Klaus was currently being held together by a few threads and maybe some staples, it took every ounce of his self control not to have a complete meltdown right there in the car. He knew this city, he had lived on it’s streets. He knew the horrors that it could come up with and the people lurking in the shadows. Now his babies were somewhere out here alone and the sun was steadily beginning to go down. 

Klaus had to brace himself as someone hit the side of the car and Dave slammed on the breaks. Allison came from the side of the car and nearly fell into the window, she was breathing heavily. “Harold Jenkins is Leonard Peabody. Vanya’s boyfriend.” She gasped.

Klaus barely registered her words, “Allison, Theo and Daisy are missing- They left the house and now we can’t find them.”

“What?” She stared at him with wide eyes. When it rains it pours. 

“Where’s Diego and Five?”

“They’re -They.” She shook her head, “Five collapsed, he’d been fucking shot. Diego took him to the house.” 

“Vanya went over to get his help looking for the kids.” Dave interjected. 

“Oh my god..” 

Klaus covered his face. He was about to speak when an explosion on the other side of the city made them all lurch forward. They struggled to see out the windows at what looked like a blue vortex hovering over one specific spot. 

Allison got in the backseat and Dave flipped a u-turn and they shot through the city towards the commotion. 

They arrived at the house, or rather what was left of the house, before any law enforcement got there. The spot that used to be a home now looked like a bomb site - a huge crater in the middle sinking deeply into the foundation and piles of rubble circling the blast. The surrounding houses were stripped bare. The corpse of Herald Jenkins was sprawled out covered in knives. 

In the middle of the carnage was Vanya, she was climbing through the rubble screaming “Theo! Daisy!” But her entire body was shaking and she looked like she was about to collapse. 

“Shit!” They said in unison and bolted out of the car. 

Vanya was hysterical, screaming the children’s names and pushing weakly but desperately through the rubble. The truth of the situation hit Klaus like a truck and he felt his legs nearly give out. “No, no, no, no.”

Everything cracked and suddenly Klaus was sobbing and screaming as well. He began to dig, as did everyone else. He felt Sassy’s ghostly nose press against his arm and he grabbed her face “Find the babies, I need you to find the babies, Sass’” He begged the dog. 

She obediently lunged into the rubble. Dave was the closest when Sassy began to bark and point at a pile of wall. He began clawing through and pulling up boards, Sassy urged him forward and soon they were all in that specific spot. 

Ben dove into the pile and disappeared, Klaus heard his voice before they were able to clear it. “They’re here!”

Even with the whole group it took them way too long to clear it but eventually one last beam was moved and they found Theo curled around Daisy. Neither of them were moving.

Klaus collapsed to his knees gripping the dog tags and the star of David as Dave jumped into the hole. “They’re alive!” He shouted. 

Dave pulled them to his chest and began to weep. Vanya, upon hearing this stumbled away and crumpled to the ground, curling into a fetal position. 

The children opened their eyes and immediately latched on to their father. Dave pushed Daisy out of the hole first and into Klaus’ arms. She was sobbing and clung onto him as tightly as he clung onto her. They pulled Theo out next, he was the first to speak as he fell into his mom’s arms next to his sister. 

“I’m sorry!”

Klaus began to rock them lightly, “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’ve got you.” They took a while just to hold their children and cry. 

Allison approached Vanya and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Who did this?”

“I did!” Vanya sobbed. 

********************************************************************************************

“Luther, this is Vanya we’re talking about, our sister! The one who used to cry when we’d step on ants as kids!”

Klaus was standing in front of Luther as Allison held their sister on the bed of the infirmary. Diego stood next to Klaus. They were all looking a little worse for wear and Klaus couldn’t control how his muscles trembled as he felt everything falling apart. The children didn't have any severe injuries, only cuts and bruises and Dave was with them in another part of the house but Klaus wanted more than anything to be with them at this moment.

“How can you even say that, Klaus, she almost killed your children!” Behind them   
Vanya wailed and the walls shook around them.

“No, that nutball who was manipulating her almost got my babies killed!”

Diego stepped in, “Look the situation could have been a lot worse – everything would have been fine if Harold Jenkins hadn’t tried to incite an incident.”

Luther took a step forward, “ I don’t want to hurt her – but dad knew how dangerous she could be, he has that room down there where she won’t be a danger to anyone else.”

“Who care’s what dad thought, Luther!? He was a sociopath!” Diego snapped, getting in his brother’s face.

Luther pushed back.

“Stop it!” Allison snapped, “No one is taking anyone anywhere!” Then she added in a softer tone “Except to bed. We’re tired, Vanya has been through a lot today and we’re going to stop talking like abandoning her is an option.”

Luther rolled his eyes, “No one is saying anything about abandoning her.”

Klaus’ eyes flashed, “Obviously you’ve never been locked in a small dark room, Luther. She’s scared, like any of us would be, and dad lied to her her entire life. We- we’re not talking about this anymore. She’s not a bomb, she’s our sister.”

Luther moved past Diego to face Klaus. “Fine, let’s betray dad and everything he worked for but when she accidentally kills your kids don’t come running to me, Four.”

In a split-second Klaus’ eyes flashed white and in a burst of telekinetic energy his brother was thrown backwards through three different walls.The séance’s body went rigid and It was several moments before he seemed to snap out of it, stumbling backwards and catching himself on the edge of the counter.

“Shit, bro…” Diego put a hand on his arm to steady him.

They heard Luther get up and stomp away. Klaus turned to his sisters, “We should- We should probably get some sleep.”

Vanya reached out her hand, “Klaus- I’m so sorry – I never.”

Klaus took her hand and hugged her, “It’s okay, she’s okay – Let’s just move forward. I think maybe it would be best if we took it easy for a few days. Maybe have a spa day.” He smiled tiredly.

“Why don’t you sleep in my room with me tonight?” Allison offered

Klaus and Diego escorted them to the room.

Before they parted Diego grabbed his brother’s arm, “Are you good, bro?”

Klaus nodded. He wasn’t okay but if he spoke too soon, he feared he might just fall apart and he was really too tired for that.

“I’m going to go be with my hu- partner and my babies for tonight.”

Diego nodded, “Alright- I’ll uh- keep an eye out for any commission stragglers.” There had been another attack on the house - They were vaguely warned of it just in time by three mysterious figures in ghost masks who stood outside the windows. They disappeared as soon as the fight broke out but Klaus was still grateful to whoever they were. 

Klaus went first to Little Ben’s room, he leaned over the side of the crib and watched him for several minutes. He didn’t want to wake him up so he refrained from leaning down and kissing his head. He was sleeping so peacefully, not a single care in the world.

Then he moved to the bedroom. Theo and Daisy were sitting up while Grace and Dave tended to their cuts and bruises. They had showered and were in clean pajamas. Although they were obviously tired they were certainly alert. 

When Klaus arrived Dave stood up and faced him - he spoke quietly, “Do you want to do this now or wait until the morning?”

Klaus splayed his hands out, “Let’s just do this now…” He reached out and gripped Dave’s arm “Due to the circumstances this time, I doubt it will happen but If I start breaking down I need you to take over.” He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. 

They knelt in front of the children who were staring at the floor, Klaus took Daisy’s hand and then took Theo’s hand. He looked them in the eyes, “Theo, Daisy, I am truly so angry with you right now that I can barely-” 

He broke down. 

Dave sighed, “What the hell were you two thinking?! What could have gone through your heads that you thought this was even remotely okay?”

“We’re sorry.” Theo spoke up. 

“That’s not going to cut it this time, kid. We thought you were dead - I need you both to understand that - I thought I was going to have to bury you- I was going to have to tell your grandma and grandpa that their grandbabies were dead - do you have any idea what that’s like?” 

They shook their heads. 

“Obviously, you’re both grounded--”

“Until you’re thirty!” Klaus interjected. 

“But it’s more than that - We can’t trust you. That’s something you’re going to have to earn back.” Dave got very close to both of them, “Don’t you dare ever do something like this again, do you understand me?”

They nodded their heads. 

“I said, do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir.” They said in unison. 

“Good.” He pulled them into each arm and hugged them, “We love you and we can’t handle anything happening to either of you.”

“Klaus, is there anything you want to add.”

Klaus had barely taken his face away from his hands throughout this whole conversation. He shook his head and said despondently, “No, you got it all.”

They dismissed them to their rooms, no doubt for a very fitful night sleep - but no one was going to sleep well tonight. Klaus and Dave held onto each other and didn’t let go for the rest of the night. 

*******************************************************************************************

“Knock knock!” Klaus tapped on the side of Vanya’s room, “How are you feeling today miss sonic boom?”

It had been a few days since they averted the apocalypse and everyone was obviously still recovering. Dave had barely put Daisy down and although she had calmed down, she was still having nightmares and not wanting to be alone.

Vanya looked up from her book and flashed him a soft smile, “I’m okay. I still can’t play the violin yet without feeling like I’m going to lose control.” She hesitated, “You can come in if you want.”

He took her offer and settled down in a chair next to her bed, “You’ll get used to them soon enough, I have faith.”

“I don’t know how you guys do it.”

“Do what?”

She gestured around, “The powers and the battles and stuff - I don’t know if I’m cut out for it.”

Klaus smirked, “You give us way too much credit. When you get a handle on your powers it’s gonna be lovely. It took me over 30 years to get mine under control - You’ll be the best in 6 months tops.”

“Can you imagine what we could have been if dad--” She trailed off, looking out the window. 

“If dad hadn’t tortured and manipulated us?”

“Yeah.”

Klaus exhaled, “Vanya, I- I’m sorry. I’ve been saying that a lot recently to a lot of people but I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. There was never any excuse for my behaviour - I know this probably just sounds like I’m trying to clear my conscience.” He grimaced, “And maybe that’s a part of it - But I don’t feel like I know you . I love you, certainly, but I don’t know you and I’d like to.”

She reached over and squeezed his hand, “Dad pitted us against each other - We all messed up but I think a lot of it was honest. I’d like to get to know you better too.”

“You truly amaze me, Vanni.”

She gawked at him, “Why?”

“It was so awful how we treated you, I know that dad contributed to that but eventually we became the ones to blame. All those times I treated you like shit and yet when I looked over my shoulder you were there keeping an eye out. All those times I said shitty things to you and you still welcomed me back with open arms.”

Vanya inspected him closely, “I don’t know about that, I was just a desperate little girl who wanted love like everyone else. I remember you before dad threw you into that mausoleum and I could never let go of those memories so when you finally came back it was like time hadn’t passed at all.”

“Also, thanks for standing up for me. It means a lot.”

He shrugged, “It was the least I could do after slacking off for so long.”

Klaus stared at the ground for a while and Vanya kept her eyes out the window, eventually though he spoke up. “Daisy is feeling more like herself today. She really wants to see you, I told her I would ask you if you felt up to it.”

“You’d let me see her again? Even after- ?”

“I would like for you to be a part of my children’s lives.” He said sincerely, “I can think of no better role model than their 5’ foot tall nuclear aunt.”

She grinned, “I’m 5’1 , asshole.”


	15. Dave (Part 1?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few one shots during Klaus and Dave's relationship leading up to one big question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I hope that this one is not too random, I just wanted to get a few scenes out of my head on this one! Thanks for reading!

There was something to be said, Klaus thought, about special moments of connection. In the past he had had wild sex that lasted all night with people. He had made out in the backs of bars for hours and had woken up from the drug induced haze days later with strangers who looked at him like they knew something he didn’t. 

But when Dave had kissed him, there was no urgency, no particular fire that made him crazy. It was sweet and slow, like honey. They hadn’t pushed each other against the wall, they just needed to be a little closer for just a couple of minutes. 

Klaus felt like he had known this man for 20 years after a kiss that lasted only a few seconds. It made him feel special how this soldier had caressed his face but never took any liberties with the rest of his body. 

Klaus was drunk, sure, so was Dave but he wasn’t drunk enough not to feel the panic that welled up in his chest when the soldier gestured for them to leave. A sense of ‘Now, I’ve got an expectation on what I do next’ filled his stomach but he didn’t care. That kiss had given him a sense of precious love that he had never experienced - he would do anything to keep it. 

This is what he is good at, after all, he could show Dave that he was worth sticking around for. 

So when they turned the corner outside of the bar he fell easily to his knees, biting his lip in the sexy way that people liked. He looked up at the soldier and tugged at his belt. What he hadn’t expected was for this man to just fall to his level and suddenly Klaus was face to face with him again. 

“I think that you should get some rest, Klaus.” Dave pushed a strand of hair away from his eyes. 

Klaus glanced around, he pouted. This wasn’t a part of the script. “But- I can- Did I do something wrong?”

Dave laughed, he had a goofy smile on his face, “Can I kiss you again?” 

Klaus nodded and once again they were locked in a slow and deliberate kiss that lasted only a few seconds before Dave pulled away and stared at him, “Hm, you’re really pretty.”

Then the soldier stood up and offered his hand. Klaus took it and let himself be pulled back onto his feet. “I’ll walk you to your room?”

Klaus watched him, his mouth hanging open slightly, “Well, aren’t you sweet.”

They chatted idly as they went back to their hotel room, most of it just small talk about family, books, and happenings within their group. Klaus felt like Dave wanted him but when they reached the room he didn’t try anything. He smiled, said they should meet up in the morning to go to the market and he walked away. 

For the first time he could remember he went to bed alone and felt butterflies in his stomach over what was going to happen in the morning. 

****************************************************************************************

Klaus settled silently into the warm bath; his eyes were set ahead in a thousand-yard stare against the wall. He resembled a corpse, all gray skin and bones, marks of the fight were still on his skin and his hair was shaved away around the gruesome crater in the back of his head. Even the gentle air sent shivers down his body as it encountered the exposed flesh. The bruising and swelling from the bullet had spread down around his temple and eyes making everything distorted and confusing.

Despite all this, he smiled down at the infant laying in his lap, his body partially under the bathwater. He used both hands to hold Theo’s head up and let his legs kick idly around. His son watched him pensively while he wriggled slowly in the unfamiliar environment. He smiled and blew a little bubble of spit.

Dave came in and set two towels down on the counter and knelt next to the tub. He dipped a green rag into the water and dragged it against Klaus’ shoulder. He moved methodically over his partner’s body, washing away the grime and sweat that had accumulated. Klaus moved small circles of water over Theo’s body with his thumbs and the baby wriggled and cooed at the sensation.

Without prompt he leaned against Dave’s chest to allow the man better access to his opposite side. “Hm, you’re too sweet.” He mumbled wearily, allowing his eyelids to fall shut.

“You still with me, Angel?”

Klaus’ eyes shot open and he nodded, “Yeah, sorry…”

Dave gently moved the soapy rag down his back, “You’re fine – Just let me know when it gets to be too much. This is the longest you’ve been able to sit up in a while.”

Klaus blearily studied the infant who was contentedly soaking in the water, “I thought babies were supposed to hate bathes...” He mused.

“I think he just likes being with you.”

Klaus snorted, he leaned down and nuzzled the baby with a loopy grin, “Lil’ maniac.” He murmured.

Theo giggled, throwing his hands out and exclaiming ‘Guh!’. Klaus giggled and the baby mirrored him, kicking his little legs out with a soft splash.

Dave watched them with a melancholy fondness spreading over his features. A small trickle of blood started from Klaus’ nose and he swiftly wiped it away with the rag before it could drip onto the baby.

“Shit, sorry.”

“It’s okay, angel.” Dave got some toilet paper and pressed it against the injured mans’ nose to catch the bleeding, then he started wiping his face.

“I’m so sorry, Klaus.” Dave admitted in a voice barely over a whisper.

“What? Why?”

“If I had just listened to you – If I hadn’t let my pride get in the way- after I got shot and you wanted to leave this wouldn’t have happened.” He dabbed lightly against his puffy red eyes, careful not to get any water in them.

Klaus’ face contorted. “Hm, don’t say that- If we had listened to me then we wouldn’t have found the cutest baby in the world- “He slurred, focusing on every word as he spoke it. “Please don’t…” He struggled to find the word “It’s worth it, I promise, I’m okay.”

“I’m not going anywhere – Don’t worry about that. I just hate seeing you in so much pain.” Dave leaned over and helped Klaus wash Theo.

“Isn’t he just perfect…” Klaus purred

“He is.” 

Dave moved on to inspect the bullet wound with a grimace – despite how it was healing at a superhuman rate – it was still brutal to witness. With a small pair of scissors, he trimmed away more of Klaus’ blood matted curls and dabbed around it with antiseptic ointment.

After a while Klaus shuddered as a fresh wave of pain and nausea hit him like a truck and suddenly it took all his strength to hold up Theo’s head. Dave pulled an arm around him as his face turned a sickly green and his eyes snapped shut. He moved his other hand to help Klaus support Theo’s head.

Dave then spoke urgently but softly, “You’re my hero, you know that, right? All that time I spent in the army and commission, thinking I was some hot shot who was going to save the world – only for you to fall out of the sky and show me what real heroism looks like.” Dave pressed a kiss against his shoulder earnestly. “I need you to know that.”

Klaus nodded and let out a small sob. His whole body was tensed up and he pressed into Dave’s body for support.

“Okay, time to get back to bed. I’m going to take Theo, okay? He’s going to be right here.” Dave pulled the infant out of the water and swathed him in a towel. Klaus reached for him and gasped as the baby was lifted from his hands. “Klaus, baby, he’s okay – He wants to go to bed – You didn’t drop him. I’ll be right back.” The injured man took several moments to process this but eventually it seemed to sink in, and he gave up and let his hands fall empty into the water.

Quickly Dave placed the baby down in his bed right outside the door and came back to the tub.

Dave helped Klaus lift out of the tub, holding him secure under the arms and immediately wrapped the towel around him. Delirious mumblings fell from his mouth and Dave worried that they pushed it too far, although a bath was the only thing that his partner had been asking for since he woke up.

By the time they reached the bed Klaus was back to being completely confused – Thankfully he was too weak to be too much of a threat to himself or the man taking care of him. Dave spoke firmly and guided him where he needed to be, answered the same questions he had been answering over and over again until Klaus was satisfied.

As Klaus drifted away from him again, Dave just prayed that some of his words stuck. 

***************************************************************************************************

Klaus awoke with a start as he was hit bluntly in the chest - he cried out and rolled away on to the floor. His eyes struggled to adjust to being awake - he held what was surely going to be a very bruised collarbone. 

“Fuck! Stop!” Dave was writhing around on the bed, his arms were flailing and he was yelling angrily at whatever was happening in his, no doubt, PTSD fueled nightmare. He was getting caught in the blankets and that was making it worse. 

Klaus moved towards him and attempted to pull the tangled sheets away, his hands were shaking and he jumped backwards when Dave screamed again. 

“Get away from me!” He snapped - his eyes were still closed and his face twisted in pain and anger. 

“Dave.. Dave, wake up!” Klaus tentatively touched his arm and then pulled back quickly as a fist clumsily flew towards his face. “Shit!”

“Dave!” Klaus wished that he knew what to do in these situations but usually it was happening the other way around. 

Dave’s eyes shot open and he lurched forward, his breath coming in desperate gasps. He looked around but his eyes still seemed delirious and his fists were still balled up at his sides- leaving his arms trembling. 

“Where am I?” He choked out. 

“You’re home, you’re safe, Dave.”

“Angel?”

Klaus nodded, relieved to finally see some recognition in Dave’s feral and confused eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I’m here.”

Dave groaned loudly and with another angry yell he turned over and punched his pillow. He then seemed to collapse, his breath coming in short, struggling heaves. Klaus sat on the other side of the bed feeling useless as he heard what sounded like his partner starting to cry. He carefully laid back down facing him, too afraid to touch him in fear it might freak him out. 

Dave was struggling to get his breathing under control and after a few moments he spoke, his voice was hoarse and he was out of breath, “Klaus?”

“I’m here.” Is all Klaus said. 

“Can you please keep talking?” He groaned and inhaled deeply. 

“Uh- yeah- what do you want me to talk about?” 

Dave was still turned away from him, hiding his face, “A-anything- I just need you to keep talking…”

“Oh, well you came to the right person, babe.” Klaus laughed nervously, “No one’s ever asked me to keep talking - usually they just want me to shut the hell up - so yeah- I - i can talk all day. You want to hear about my dream? I was having a dream that Theo started growing rabbit ears and he was hopping around and I tried to take him to the doctor but the waiting room was filled with Jello? Green jello and the doctor was drowning in the jello - I tried to save him but I couldn’t get to him in time. Then he turned into an olive so I went home. Oh - god - then Theo had a handful of that green jello and his ears started disappearing but then a toothpick began to grow out of his head and I was like ‘oh shit! I’d rather have a bunny baby than a human sized olive.’ Then you came home and I thought you were going to be mad that I turned our baby into an olive - then I woke up.”

Dave’s breath had begun to return back to normal. 

Klaus inhaled, his voice was a soft whisper as he continued to ramble “It was fucked up but I think it’s because this old bastard took the last jar of olives at the store yesterday and he friggin winked at me when he saw me looking for more. But- I don’t want anybody to turn into an olive - part of their charm is how small they are. When they’re human sized it’s just scary.”

Dave laughed and Klaus almost cried in relief when his partner gingerly rolled over to face him. His face was damp and he was still shaking but his panic attack seemed to be easing up. 

“Thank you.”

Klaus smiled and took his hand, pulling it to his chest, “Oh, I’m glad you think you’re done - I’m sober - That’s not even the craziest dream I’ve had this week. You better get your notepad out - we’re gonna go full pyschosexual analysis - I promise.”

Dave grinned, he winced as his thoughts wondered and he squeezed his partner’s hand. He moved into Klaus’ chest and closed his eyes - “Please, don’t stop.” 

Klaus kissed his head and ran his fingers through his curls, attempting to keep his voice as light as possible, “Okay, but you better not fall asleep before I get to the root of my daddy issues.” 

Klaus didn’t stop speaking in hushed whispers until Dave had been asleep for a while and his throat started to go hoarse. He didn’t know where Dave went or what he was fighting but it made him feel better that he was able to help him in some way. 

***************************************************************************************************

“Dave?”

Klaus pulled himself up out of the morning haze and sat up against the headboard. He hadn’t been sleeping well because even with his attempt to personalize their room - the house still reeked with that stuffy sir Reginald Hargreeves vibe. They were both awake, before the kids for once but they had just continued to lie there as the sun began to peak through the curtains.

“Dave?”

“Hm.” Dave rolled over and laid his head against Klaus’ thigh, he closed his eyes again. “Good morning.” He mumbled against the other man’s skin. 

Klaus moved his hands through Dave’s hair absently and stared out the window, “I need to ask you something.” He sighed.

Dave’s eyes opened and he looked up at him with lidded eyes, “Shoot, angel.”

“Dave Katz, will you marry me?”

Dave stared at him and a fond grin lit up his face.

“It’s a legit question so no pressure, but it is gonna be kinda awkward if you say ‘no’.” Klaus lulled his head back dramatically “‘Cause, you know, there’s the lease thing, same bank account thing… The tax thing…” He counted lazily on his fingers, “Oh, yeah, and the three kids thing.”

Dave reached up and took his counting hand, “Damn, I guess you got me there.”

He reached over and pulled a small box out of the bedside table, he opened it and held out a gold ring with a modest diamond. This made Dave sit up on his elbow and stare at Klaus in shock – “You bought this?”

“Well, Allison and Vanya helped pick it out but yeah- I bought it.”

Dave slipped the ring on his finger and inspected it. He held his hand up against a beam of sun and watched how the ring glinted against his skin.

“The anticipation is killing me. I know we’re moving fast but I think we could build a life together! Maybe even have a kid or two- So what do you say, cowboy?”

Dave chuckled, “Just one or two? We could even have three!”

“Well, that’s obviously too many, slow down horn-dog.”

He laughed, watching the ornery glint in his partner’s green eyes. “Klaus, you know I’d marry you in a thousand lifetimes.”

“Does that include this one?”

Dave pulled Klaus down to his level and kissed him, “Including this one.”

They kissed for several minutes, just enjoying each other’s company until Dave pulled away and looked directly into Klaus’ eyes, “You know I’ve always wanted to call you my husband, but I just always hoped that you knew…”

“What? Hoped that I knew that you’d be loyal till the end? That even when I was so sick and useless, you’d still love me? That even after we fight, and you’d storm off you still put a glass of water on my table so when I wake up from a nightmare, I’ll have something to drink? That you make me feel loved? We never needed vows, Katz, I’ve never doubted that you love me and every disgusting thing that came with me. I just never knew why.” He laughed, “I was always too scared to question it.”

“You always bring up that you couldn’t take care of Theo when he was a baby but you forget that After Daisy was born – When I broke – Through that depression-- You stepped up and you took care of us, you stayed with her even when everyone told us she wasn’t going to make it. You’d step out of the room and you’d tell me over and over again ‘Dave, I can’t do this.’ Then you did.”

He pushed Klaus’ hair away from his face and smiled, “You do that a lot – “Dave mused, “You tell me ‘I can’t do this’ then you do it anyway – Look, I don’t need a piece of paper to make this official, but I am damn proud of you and I want everyone to know what you mean to me.”

“Jesus fuck, Dave.” Klaus croaked out. “You win. Damn.”

He laid back, quickly wiping his eyes, “God, I’m gonna look so hot in a wedding dress.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! Wedding next chapter? Will my boss ever catch me writing gay fanfiction instead of working? Find out next time! ;) Seriously though, thanks for reading! Any comments are always appreciated!


	16. Luther

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus' relationship with Luther has always been a difficult one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so hear me out - No wedding this chapter but it is tied in, this just got away from me so I turned it into it's own chapter. To make up for this I'm posting this one and the next one at the same time so I don't look like a complete asshole.   
> Thanks for reading!

Klaus was lounging half on his bed and half off, his pupils were blown to hell and he was drifting in and out of sleep. When someone knocked on his door, he barely heard them through the drug induced haze. It was only after the banging on the door became angrier and more insistent did he lift his head up and look.

He crawled further onto the bed and lazily covered his head with the edge of the blanket. Someone was speaking. Then finally the door burst open. Luther stepped inside, his face was red, he was still reeling from the stern lecture they had gotten from their father about their latest failure in the field and he was not happy he was chosen to get his brother.

“Klaus. Get up. You’re late for training.”

Four flipped the corner off the blanket off his face and attempted to focus his eyes, “Mein Bruder!” He giggled. “I uh- I’m feeling a little under the weather today, you understand, I’m sure.”   
He languidly fluttered his fingers at Luther. “Please give my most sincere apologies to daddy. Thank you!”

Luther inspected him crossly, “Stop lying. Get your ass up. Dad wants you in his office, now!”

Klaus hummed, “Well, not if you ask like that.”

Luther sighed, “Look, you junkie, dad said to get you to training however I could. Just get up – Don’t make me—”

Klaus lifted his head, “Don’t make you what, One?”

“Make me force you to go.”

His brother tensed and slowly dragged himself closer to the wall, his face darkening, “You can’t make me. Dad can go fuck himself.”

Luther lunged forward and grabbed onto his brother’s ankle. With one easy pull he ripped him from the bed and let him fall to the floor with a crash. Klaus’ back hit the wood and he wheezed as the air was knocked out of him.

“Shut the hell up!” Luther grabbed him and lifted him up, “You’re lucky dad even puts up with your shit.”

Klaus’ face twisted into an unstable grin. He forcefully spit in his brother’s face.  
Luther pulled back a fist and punched him. Klaus’ head snapped back, and he collapsed against the bedframe. He held his face as blood started to gush out of his nose “Shit!” He croaked out.

His brother stood over him, his shoulders fell, “Klaus – Come on –“He leaned down and grabbed the smaller teenager by the upper arm and pulled him forward. “We’re sick of you killing yourself with drugs. Dad just wants to help you.”

Klaus glared past his fingers, “Fuck you, Luther.” He tugged his arm out of his brother’s grip, “You’re no better than he is. Just a sad old man and his little bitch. You can both go to hell.” He snarled.

In a moment of rage Luther stepped forward gripping his brother’s throat and shoved him against the wall. Klaus clawed at his hands and gasped as his lungs began to burn from lack of oxygen. He kicked and struggled but the other boy was just too much stronger.

Just as he felt he was about to pass out Luther let go and Klaus tumbled to the floor with a cry. He tried to catch himself but was too slow and he caught his wrist at a painful angle. He coughed and gasped, holding onto his wrist at Luther’s feet.

Luther growled and grabbed him by the arm. Klaus cried out but he ignored him. He dragged him through the house, begging and hurling venomous nonsense. He bit and clawed at the hand gripping his arm, but nothing seemed to phase his brother. 

He knocked on their father’s door and went inside, Reginald did not look up from his writing as Luther threw his brother down in front of his desk.

“Very good, Number One.”

Having used up all his energy and rage, Klaus curled up on the floor and covered his ears with his hands, his body was trembling. Luther nodded curtly, turned on his heal, and walked out leaving his brother to his training.

*************************************************************************

“I’ve still got to face Luther.” Klaus whined, sitting back and watching as Dave cooked breakfast. They were in the kitchen closest to their bedrooms as they attempted to develop some sense of scale in the enormous academy mansion

“He still not talking to you?”

“Nope.”

The cook glanced up, “Be careful.”

“I renovated the house with his body, I think I’ll be okay.”

“I know that, but I’ve heard enough stories- We both know that your family isn’t the best- With boundaries- Fist fights before apologies and all that.”

“Just like daddy raised us!” He sang.

“I’ll be okay… He’s not a bad guy he’s just angry…” Klaus stared off at the antique decorations that littered the wall.

There was a tense silence while Ben babbled nonsense and wondered around.  
“Look, I’m going to suggest something, and I don’t think that you’re going to like it.” Dave turned around holding a sizzling pan of eggs away from the stove.

Klaus was at the table fiddling absently with Ben’s bib. The toddler was running around intent on escaping the baby gates put up in the doorways while his father watched him with amusement.

Klaus glanced up at Dave and sat back in his chair, gripping his ankle “Oh? I can’t wait to hear it.”

He turned around and continued to focus on his cooking, “I think we should stay. Even after the wedding.”

“Stay where? In 2019?”

The look Dave gave him confirmed this.

Klaus scoffed, “With what? All of our money is in 1983. And so is our house!”

“I know you’re not worried about money, you’ve got a gold stash from things you’ve lifted from this house big enough to make a leprechaun greener – And we can find another house, outside of the city.”

Klaus’ hand flew to the side, “You’re bluffing, you didn’t find anything.”

“If you want to hide something you should stop putting it in the drawer you hide your stashed sweets.”

The other man grumbled sourly.

“Dave, we have our whole life there! It’s where we brought home all of the babies! And what? We just leave it and let your parents find a burning house with their son and grandkids just gone? Never to return? That’s cruel and you know it!” Klaus was leaning forward with his hands waving at every word in agitation.

Ben fumbled over as his father’s voice raised and started tugging on the hem of his thin keyhole shirt. They heard the commotion of their other children coming out of the bedrooms, no doubt in response to the smells coming from the kitchen.

Dave lowered his voice, “You know Daisy needs to be out of that timeline, we can find her better schools here so she can excel and won’t be ostracized at every turn. Theo too, we always planned on taking him to Vietnam to see where he was born. We can’t do that safely then. And do you really want to leave your family? The kids deserve to know their other half, and you deserve to have them in your life.”

Klaus’ hand automatically went to the star of David on his chest, “Your family is my family – And there’s too.” He snapped, pointing a finger to in the direction of the children outside the room.

Dave sighed, “I know, and I’ve been thinking- Hi sweetie- “Daisy came in and hugged him, snatching a piece of hashbrown off the plate behind his back then plopped down at the table.

He continued, “I’ve been thinking—I need to tell them the truth. Just go back and tell them.”

“We live complicated lives, Dave, you’re going to have to be more specific. Do you mean the ‘gay’ bit, the time travel bit, the commission bit, or the superpowered fiancé bit?”

Dave waved his spatula out, just barely missing the top of Theo’s head. His son ducked expertly and moved to the fridge to pour himself a glass of orange juice. “I mean—”

“Just bring that to the table, Teddy-bear.” Klaus interjected.

Theo mumbled something about nicknames but obliged anyway.

“I mean about everything.” Dave concluded. “About it all.” He leaned forward against the table watching his fiancé’s reaction.

Klaus frowned, “I know you’re right, Dave. I do. but –”

“What was that?’ Dave tilted his head to the side with a smirk.

The other man waved his hand, “Don’t look into it.”

He continued sadly, “I think you should do what you feel is fair to them – but it’s not going to be as easy as just moving on… And it- it’s gonna break my heart to leave them.” He finished dejectedly, wiping his eyes.

Dave had a pained expression on his face as he turned and began to place food down on the table. Theo and Daisy exchanged glances.

The cook sat down as everyone started hungrily grabbing at the food, Klaus picked up Ben and started building him a plate, beginning to scoop up food and feeding it him. They were silent for several minutes with the awkward sounds of utensils hitting glass.

“What’s going on?” Theo asked, sounding annoyed.

Klaus shot Dave a look. One that said ‘This is your idea- you tell them’

He put his fork down and clasped his hands, “We’re talking about, maybe staying here in 2019 – There’s a lot more opportunity for us and it will give you a chance to be with your mom’s family.” He paused scanning the room for reactions. (Big) Ben came in at this time and sat down on the counter, observing them curiously.

“What do you guys think?”

“I like it here! Can we stay in the mansion?” Daisy was the first to respond.

Klaus poked at his eggs, “Oh, I’d rather not – But we’d be here all the time – gotta keep Grace and Pogo on their toes, after all. Wouldn’t want them slipping.”

“What about Grandma and Grandpa?” Theo pointed out.

Daisy’s eyes lit up with sudden indignation “Yeah.. And what about Aunt Nora, and Aunt Vicki, and Aunt Carrie, and Aunt Laura and Aunt Sara and my volcano and–”

Before the list could go on further Dave spoke up, “We – uh—We’re working on that.” He glanced at Klaus who didn’t give him anything, “We might take trips there a few times a year?”

Klaus put his fork down, “We aren’t going to abandon them- Either way we’re staying here through the wedding, so we have time to figure it out.” He seemed to just want to end the conversation. It worked but Theo and Daisy didn’t look convinced.

**********************************************************************

“Be careful, Dave.” Klaus sighed and pulled his arms around his fiancé’s neck.

Dave kissed him, he held the briefcase at his side, “You know I will- Try to have fun without me – I was so looking forward to an all-day shopping spree with you and your family.”

Klaus laughed and smacked his arm, “Enjoy that headache and full body itch, jackass.” He continued to hold onto Dave’s shirt, his eyes wondering, “When you see them – tell them that I’m sorry and that I love them. And that we’ll be okay.”

“You don’t need to be sorry. But I’ll tell them the other things.”

“Don’t I? If some lunatic landed one of my kids in another timeline and I never got to see them again – I’d despise the little shit.”

Dave groaned, “I am not looking forward to when Theo starts to date.”

His fiancé made a face at the topic with which they do not speak.

“They love you like their own and I’m a grown man and they know that—I wouldn’t be doing this If it wasn’t the best thing for our family.”

“I know. I know.” His eyes were beginning to well up, “Just tell them that I love them.”

Dave pulled him to his chest and rubbed his back, “I will. I promise.”

Little Ben made a noise, standing up and bouncing casually in his pen- He was ready for this little conversation to end and for someone to pick him up. Dave looked over his partner’s shoulder and smiled fondly at the toddler. He knelt down in front of his pen. Ben stretched out his hand and Dave took it.

“What’s wrong, little man?”

“Doh! Guh!”

“Yeah? Hey, I gotta head out for a little while but I’ll be back soon – If you wanted to say something, now would be the time to do it.” He prompted hopefully, “Like ‘pops’ or ‘pop-pop’? Maybe? That would make me so happy.”

Klaus came to stand next to them “Begging will get you nowhere, Katz – and it won’t make you win. This is the real world.” He squatted down in front of the toddler “Momma will give you five bucks if you say ‘Ma-ma’. Say ‘Ma-ma’. I’ll take you to McDonalds – Dad doesn’t have to know. Come on – say ‘ma-ma’. Please!”

Ben giggled but no discernible words came out and he just danced lightly back and forth.

Dave shrugged “He’s not falling for your tricks.” He picked up the toddler and bounced him on his hip. “But, for your information, when he says, ‘pops’ first – I’d like my 200$ in small bills, please.”

Klaus made a mocking face, “Oh the arrogance! That’s cute. Well, when he says ‘mom’ first I’d like mine in quarters please.”

A few minutes and a flash of blue light later Klaus was standing in the bedroom alone with Ben on his hip. The sun was beginning to go down.

“That’s rough.” His brother, Ben, stated from the corner of the room.

“You still have no sense of privacy.”

“I’m dead what else am I supposed to do but poke into people’s lives.” He stood up and little Ben leaned towards him.

Klaus handed him over and Ben happily took the toddler. “They were nice people?”

“Were. Are. The kindest, most lovely people. The complete opposite of ol’ Reggie.” He pouted, continuing to stare where his partner had been standing just a moment before.

“Speaking of- Luther’s downstairs. He’s been digging around dad’s old office. It’s not good.”

Klaus groaned, “I’ll go talk to him.”

He found his brother sitting on the couch, face stuck in a permanent sense of self-pity. Klaus cautiously approached and plopped down on the other side of the furniture. Luther didn’t even glance at him.

Klaus wrung his hands together in his lap and waited. “Luther- You haven’t responded to the invitation yet. We need to know how much food to put out for the reception.”

“I thought you did that just for show – Like you had to cause I’m your brother.” Luther responded dryly. Still not turning his head to look at his brother.

Klaus scoffed, “When have I ever done anything in my life just for show? That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

Luther observed him skeptically.

“C’mon, man! I’m about to get married! I don’t want to be fighting with you right now! I know we were never the closest, but can you just tell me what you think of me and we can work through it? I promise, I can take it.”

“Klaus—”

“I mean, within reason- I’m sensitive.” He put his hands up “Ok, continue.”

“Were you scared of me? Growing up?”

Klaus looked taken aback “Uh- Christ, Luther—” He seemed to have to think about it for several moments “I guess.. I mean, sure… Sometimes. But a lot of that was because of dad. He used you like a body guard and I couldn’t fight you. And- When we were teenagers – I understood that keeping me in order was just easy approval from ol’ daddy. I don’t blame you for that. We were just kids.”

“I thought I was doing what was best for you – To protect you from yourself. Now, looking back. I—”

He leaned forward and put his face in his hands.

“You’re not a bad person, Luther- Dad—”

“Klaus, you gotta stop blaming everything on dad!” He snapped, “Sure, he messed us up but I was supposed to protect you guys and instead I hurt you. All of you.” His voice cracked.

Klaus slowly put his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled out a handful of individually wrapped sweets. He reached out with them “I brought you some candy?” He tried.

“I don’t want any candy, Klaus!”

His brother didn’t move his hand. Luther looked back at the sweets. He sighed, “Okay, maybe just a few.”

He let Klaus drop them in his palm, opened one and stuffed it in his cheek. Looking like a kicked puppy.

Klaus gingerly scooted next to him and leaned against his much larger brother’s shoulder. He sighed, “Okay, truth time, big guy. I was scared of you. I knew that dad hated me and I also knew that if he used you against me I couldn’t fight back. I didn’t always trust that if dad told you to beat me and lock me in the basement that you wouldn’t do it just cause I was your brother. That sucked. But I also looked up to you, I hid behind you during fights, and to this day I know that you always just want to do what’s best.”

Luther stuffed another candy in his cheek.

Klaus waved his GOOD-BYE hand, “I’m just so sick of living in the past, Lou! I’m so sorry dad hurt you and betrayed you. I’m so sorry he changed your body and manipulated you – and I hate to tell you, big guy, coming from the guy who took 30 years – It’s not going to get better or heal overnight. But don’t let us be the reason you give up- so what you fucked up? You would not believe the awful things I’ve done running from all the trauma that man left with us.”

“We love you, Luther, and we forgive you- You’re our number 1! Without our leader we’d be… Slightly more incompetent that we already are.”

He laughed. Then his face fell somber again. “It will get better. It won’t always hurt this bad. I promise.”

Luther contemplated him through a mouth full of sweets. Klaus picked out a caramel candy and fiddled with the wrapper. He popped it in his mouth. They sat on the couch smacking loudly on the chewy chocolate candies, every few minutes they had to stop and pull the sugary taffy out of their teeth with their tongues.

“Also-“ Klaus began through a mouthful of rubbery candy “I’m sorry I pushed you through three bedrooms and into the toilet. That’s my bad.”

They exchanged a glance and immediately started laughing – struggling not to choke on the food.

“What the hell is with this candy?” Luther asked smacking his brother on the back as he started coughing.

“It’s supposed to help with cigarette cravings.”

They stopped and then with one more look at each other’s faces burst out laughing again. An undeniable familial bond that broke the tension. 

After the giggled had subsided, Luther finally sit back and faced Klaus. “I want to be better and I want to have a life for once in my life – I want to protect you guys.”

Klaus tilted his head sweetly, “Of course you do! You’re Luther! It’s what we love about you!” He poked his chest, “And even if I can control my powers now, I will still hide behind you when there’s danger because you’re my big brother.” He pulled his hands to his chest “And being a coward is who I am.”

Luther’s face brightened, “And you really want me at your wedding? Even with—” He gestured to his body.

Klaus waved him off, “Of course I want you at my wedding! You can even bring that lovely ‘furry’ girl you had over a couple weeks ago- Huh?”

Luther blushed.

“She was a sweetie. And if you don’t – “He shrugged, “I still want you there – If you can forgive me.”

“I forgive you. Can you forgive me?”

“All forgiven.” He waved his hands out, “See how easy that was!”

Luther seemed pleased with the situation, he nodded his head and glanced shyly at his brother. “I’ll have to get a suit.”

“Diego’s taking Theo to get their suits tomorrow, why don’t you meet them there and get yourself something tailored? Go nuts, man! You’re free!”

They stood up and took a moment to face each other. Klaus held out his hand,   
“That’ll be 75$, please.”

Luther hugged him and he squeaked as the air was pushed out of his lungs and he felt his back pop. When he let him go he gasped and used one hand to steady himself on Luther’s arm, “Or that’s fine too-“He coughed out.

When Luther left him he stayed in front of the couch, his eyes locked on a painting on the opposite wall. He was studying it, lost in thought when Ben walked through it and joined him.

“That was precious.”

“Hm. He’s a big old softie under those big hairy shoulders.”

“I put Ben to bed.”

Klaus put a hand on his shoulder, “Thanks bro – You’ve been so nice to me lately.”

Ben scoffed, “Well, you’re slightly less insufferable. Also, you’ve got some cute kids and you named one after me, so I feel sort of obligated.”

“Well, you’re dead so we kinda felt like we had to.”

“Okay, don’t ruin it-“

They both jumped as Five teleported into the room and with a cry of anger launched a heavy book into the wall. He turned to them, breathing like a feral cat, his hands clenched in front of him.

Klaus nodded knowingly, “Old Yeller?”

“She… She…” Five glared at his clenched hands in front of his face “The timeline—She took the most intricate and the most obfuscating entity in the entire universe and- and –” His arms slumped to his sides “I can’t believe I never—It’s so obvious...”

“Who? Daisy? Yeah, she has that effect on people. Don’t take it personally.”

Five stared up at his brothers tiredly, “Klaus – Your daughter will write this book when she’s 25 years old – You couldn’t possible comprehend the game changing effects of her theory and it shouldn’t work but she did it anyway and I— The equations! She--” He slouched again “This has never happened to me before.”

Klaus smiled proudly, “No, I don’t understand any of that but I’m surely not surprised.” Five watched him.

“My little Daisy wasn’t supposed to make it- Not in the timeline, not after she was born, and she has spent every. Waking. Moment. On a rampage to shove it in the universe’s face.” He laughed, “Look, I get it, it’s tough not being the smartest person in the room but I suggest you get used to it, old man.”

“She needs to start training immediately.”

“She needs to brush her teeth and for me to do her hair and tell her a bedtime story. She’s 8.” He patted Five on the shoulder and started to walk away leaving his brother standing in a stupor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always adored!


	17. Dave (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wedding time!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oopsie! reposting now!   
> I hope this one was worth the wait! Enjoy!

Dave peeked into the tent where Klaus was sleeping, he found him sitting up and staring at an empty space. He seemed to be zoned out but his mouth was moving lightly. He cleared his throat. 

Klaus’ head shot up, “Dave! Oh my god, you’re up!”

The other man nodded, he stepped inside, glancing back at the other soldiers who were walking and running this way and that around them. It was dangerously busy outside. 

He was still very sore and he sat down on the cot with a pained grunt as his bandages pulled at his chest wound. 

“Thanks to you.”

“Oh, I didn’t do anything - It was all you, soldier.” Klaus looked at the dirt. 

“Hm.”

After a moment, Klaus lifted the dog tags from his neck and handed them towards Dave - “I guess I should give these back to you- It was touch and go there for a while so I- uh- you know…”

Dave looked at them, he pushed the other man’s hand away “Keep ‘em.”

“What? But Dave-”

“Yeah- keep ‘em - you know, they can be like a promise - I’ll always have your back and that I…” His eyes shifted around and he leaned closer, “That I love you.” He murmured, barely above a whisper. 

Klaus clutched them to his chest, then with a nod he pulled them back over his head and let them hang against his heart. 

“I love you, too.” He breathed.

They let their fingers wonder together, enjoying the light secret touch until they were called again to duty . 

*************************************************************************************

Theo sat in the passenger seat of Diego’s car- His face was unreadable as he watched the city go by around them. His eyes flickered through the buildings and the people; His fingers tapped idly against his leg. 

Diego glanced over to his nephew, he cleared his throat. “So, are you excited for your parents to get married?”

Theo shrugged, “I guess. I don’t think it will change much.”

“That’s good - so they- uh- have a pretty good relationship?” Diego was struggling. 

“Yeah… I mean, I just realized like last year that mom’s name is ‘Klaus’. I thought his name was ‘Angel’ cause that’s what pops calls him. So, I think they’re fine - my friend Darren’s parents barely even talk to each other.”

Diego nodded, “That’s good… You-uh- miss your friends?”

Theo turned to look at him. 

He raised his hands on the steering wheel, “Sorry, I just don’t want you to feel like you can’t- I don’t know- talk to me or whatever. I mean, I don’t know how open you are with your family but I’m your uncle and I’m on your side.” He cringed at the cheesiness of his own words. 

His nephew smiled, “You’ve obviously never lived with a therapist before.”

“Therapist? I thought your old man was a firefighter?”

“Pops is. Moms a therapist. We talk about our feelings a lot in our house.”

Diego turned the car down a backstreet, “No shit?” He made an impressed “Humph” sound. 

“So you’re good on the whole ‘feelings’ side of things?”

“Yup.”

Diego sighed, “Oh, thank fuck- I mean- Shit- I mean. Fuck!”

Theo laughed and Diego’s shoulders relaxed. His nephew picked up the police scanner, “What’s this do?”

“I use it to hear where the police are getting called to - if I’m closer then I’ll try to get there first to- uh- help out.”

Theo’s face lit up, “So you like beat up bad guys and stuff?”

Diego shrugged, “Only if they resist.” He tried to sound nonchalant, “If you want I can teach you a few moves. Maybe a few things that will help you out if you ever get into anymore- situations like the one with that nutcase Jenkins.” He pointed to Theo “Very good initiative on that, by the way. Very stupid. But you’ve got a lot of potential.” 

“Yeah! Can you teach me how to throw knives?” Theo was watching him, his face beaming. 

Diego thought about it, “I can show you a few self defense moves--”

“Awesome!”

“If!” Diego put his hand up “If you help me find a gift for your mom and pops today. Deal?”

“Deal!”

They parked at the store and began to walk up to the door, “You should grow your hair out- I think you’d look like Antonio Banderas.” Theo pointed out. 

“Huh, you think so?” Diego held the door open for his nephew. 

Theo nodded, “Definitely.”

“Hm, maybe I will.”

Once inside they were surprised to find Luther but after a quick explanation they started the process of picking out suits for everyone. 

On the other side of the store, in the children’s section Five walked quickly behind Daisy who was skipping happily through the racks of clothing. He was holding the dress that she had taken nearly an hour to pick out along with a pair of shoes.

“Stay close.” He chided. 

“I’m right here!” She turned to another section. 

Five groaned, “Children are taken all the time from department stores, it only takes me losing you for a second. And how would I explain that to your fathers? Huh?”

She pulled out a shirt from one of the racks, it had a blue flower embroidered on the breast pocket. “Then don’t lose me.” She suggested. 

“Good plan.” He responded sarcastically. 

She skipped ahead into the boys section and after browsing for several minutes while Five stayed a couple feet behind her, she pulled out a pink suit and held it out “You should wear this!” She cried. 

Five studied it, “Hm, no.”

“Come on! Try it on! It’ll look great on you!” She stomped. 

“Look kid, as I’m sure you’ve figured out- I’m a lot older than I look. I’d prefer to wear something a little more mature.”

She inspected him, “Anything is mature as long as you hold yourself with confidence.”

“Pinks not my color.” He retorted. 

“It’s magenta.”

Five had to shake himself because for a moment her face seemed to merge with Klaus’ in his mind. He shuddered.

She let her arms drop and she swayed slightly back and forth, “I mean, I was kind of thinking of telling mom that you gave me that commission theoretical dimensional continuum physics textbook.. I know you said not to, but I just feel so bad lying to them.” She pouted. 

“Are you blackmailing me, child?” His mouth hung open. 

She shrugged, playing innocent 

He snatched the suit out of her hands with a growl, “Fine.”

She clapped and jumped up and down all the way to the counter where he piled the new clothes. The teller lifted up the suit, “Pink is so in season right now!”

“It’s magenta. Ring it up.”

The little girl smacked his arm, “Be nice!” She scolded him. 

The woman smiled sweetly at her as she handed over their bags. 

“Thank you!” Daisy sang triumphantly. 

As they left the store they passed Theo coming out of a dressing room in a very elegant suit. The attendant smiled at him, “That fits great! Go show your two dads!” she gestured to where Diego and Luther were standing off to the side with their own bags of clothes. 

They exchanged a panicked look and Diego shuffled sideways, “Oh, hell no!”

****************************************************************************************

It was nearly four in the morning (One day before their wedding) when Dave finally made his way through the darkened mansion and into their bedroom. Most of the lights around the room were on and he found Klaus curled up facing away from the door. The room smelled heavily of lavender. 

He leaned in the doorway for a brief moment watching his Fiance sleep then cautiously moved to kneel next to him. He didn’t touch him, knowing that move would probably land him with a fist to the face as Klaus jolted awake in a panic. 

“Angel.” He whispered. 

Klaus shot up in bed, his eyes snapping back and forth until they landed on his partner’s face. He threw the blankets away from him and pulled Dave into his arms, “Oh, my god!” He cried. 

Dave embraced him for several minutes before falling back to his knees at the edge of the bed. He continued to hold his partner’s hand as he settled down onto his elbow with green eyes that scanned over his face and body. 

“Sorry I pushed it.” Dave said, gesturing to the clock. 

“What? Oh- Yeah, I was starting to get worried.” He shook his head, trying to push the sleep from his mind. “You still had one day before I started to get all bitter about it.” He winked. 

“So- So, tell me. What happened? How did it go?”

Dave sighed, “I got there a couple of days past when we left. I talked with them and I told them everything.” His eyes wondered to the floor, “I told them I was gay.” He admitted. 

Klaus’ hand moved to touch his partner’s face, “And? What did they say?”

“They said ‘They knew and that they loved me’” His voice cracked “A secret 45 years in the making and maybe I was just scared over nothing.”

Dave let Klaus pull his face into his chest, “I’m so proud of you.”

“What else happened? How long have you been gone?”

Dave sat back “Everything went okay, I grabbed some more of our stuff - anything I could fit in bags and I left notices at your work and at the station - just trying to wrap everything up. Visited my sisters.” He thought for a moment “It’s been about 4 weeks?”

“Shit.”

He laughed, “Yeah, I’ve missed you and the kids like crazy.” He gestured to the door “It took all of my self control not to wake them up. Are they doing okay?”

Klaus nodded, “I think so - It’s been very busy. Theo’s been having nightmares but he’s not wanting to talk about it. Other than that- we’ve been just peachy this week.”

“Hm, and no words from Ben?”

Klaus shook his head, “Zero. Boy’s not talking.”

“It smells like lavender in here- Is your head okay?”

Klaus stretched out and rubbed his eyes, “Yeah - I’m so worried that I’m going to end up with a migraine on the day of my wedding that I’ve been trying to beat nature at it’s own game.” He yawned. 

Dave moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Klaus scooted over to give him room. “Speaking of the wedding - I’ve got a surprise for you downstairs, you wanna come see?”

“Oh? Okay.” He rolled over and with a clumsy full bodied stretch and a stumble towards the bathroom he tugged his robe off the hook, “I’ve got a surprise for you too - But you’ll have to wait for the wedding night like a good boy.”

Dave smirked, “Oh, I know it’ll be worth it.”

Klaus let himself be guided out the door, his partner’s hand on his back “Damn right.”

As they moved through the house, Klaus’ face was a mixture of sleepy haze and mild curiosity until they reached the particular living room. Dave stopped and nudged him forward. An excited   
grin over his features. 

Klaus’ hands flew to his mouth and he nearly toppled over, “Oh my g- Ruth!” 

His (Soon to be) mother in law turned around and her face lit up as she saw him.She didn’t move, only opened her arms and let Klaus bolt into her embrace. He melted into a pile of sobs as she hugged him. 

“Ruth- I- I - I’m so freakin’ sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

She rocked him back and forth, tears were falling down her cheeks as well, “It’s okay, we thought somethin’ happened to you. We thought you were dead.” She pulled him away and her hands moved to inspect his face, “You don’t know how grateful we are that you’re all safe. Dave invited us to the wedding, I hope that’s okay.”

Klaus gave a wet laugh, “Yeah- It’s okay.” He wiped his face off with the back of his hand. He looked over her shoulder and almost whined at the sight of Frank standing awkwardly next to the wall. He was tense and he seemed so out of place surrounded by all the posh over abundant wealth of Reginald Hargreeves. 

He moved around Dave’s mom, “Frank?”

The old man nodded and pulled him into a firm embrace, kissing the side of his head roughly, “It’s good to see you, kid.”

Klaus nodded, “You too, Frank. I’m s-”

He put his hand up, “No more apologizing- We’ll be okay - Just as long as the kids and you are safe- we’ve got nothin’ else to talk about.”

“Yes, sir.” 

Dave leaned on a pillar with his arms crossed watching the scene fondly “You know, I think they’re happier to see you than they were me.” He grinned. 

Klaus turned to him and patted Frank’s arm. He pointed to his partner - “You bastard! You led me on up there for fifteen minutes while they waited.” He sauntered up to Dave and shoved his arm lightly. 

“Well, I had to build up the suspense.” Then Dave did something so unexpected and so out of routine that Klaus nearly jumped out of his skin; He pulled an arm around his waist and kissed him right in front of his parents. 

It took Klaus a few moments for the initial tension to leave and he let himself melt into Dave’s embrace. 

Dave pulled away and winked at him. 

“Okay, nerd.” Klaus croaked out. 

His partner laughed and moved around him while he stood still pointedly facing away from the old couple behind him, hand supporting his weight against the pillar. He listened as Dave spoke behind him. 

“I’ll show you guys to your room-”

“This place is massive…” Frank commented. 

“When will the kids be up?” Ruth questioned. 

“Oh, probably sooner than any of us are ready for.” Dave answered with a chuckle. 

Their voices faded away. 

******************************************************************************************************

“Master Klaus?” Pogo hesitantly leaned into the Katz' bedroom, he found klaus ready for his wedding, sitting cross legged on a pillow. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be meditating. 

“Hey Pogo.” He said with a smile, letting a couple more moments of calm wash over him before he opened his eyes. 

“I’m sorry to disturb you.”

Klaus stood up and waved a hand nonchalantly, “Don’t be - I’ve gotten all the enlightenment I can from this morning. What can I do for you, Pogo?”

The old monkey inspected him, “I just came to congratulate you one last time before the wedding - I feel as though I’ve barely been able to speak with you privately since you came back.”

Klaus smirked, “Having three kids will do that to you.”

“Yes, and although having children in the house again has been an utmost pleasure these past weeks, there is no question in my mind that they are, without a doubt, your children.”

Klaus let out a full laugh, “My bad.”

“I never said that was a bad thing, only a plainly obvious thing.” Pogo pointed out. 

He paused, his hand shaking slightly against his cane “Master Klaus, I hope that you know that I am very proud of you. I regret that your father is not here to say it for himself.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that--” Klaus leaned forward “He wouldn’t have said it anyway - You know he never liked my ‘homosexual tendencies’.” He grinned and patted the monkey gently on the shoulder. “But I appreciate it coming from you.”

He watched Pogo closely, “You are coming to the wedding, right?”

“Yes, yes, the car is out front to take me there now - Will you be long behind?”

“That’s a relief. Oh yeah, I’m just waiting for Allison to get back from the airport and then I’ll drive with her.”

Pogo nodded curtly, “Very good, I shall see you at your wedding then.” He turned and began to limp out the door. 

“Hey, Pogo?” The old monkey glanced over his shoulder in acknowledgement, “Not bad for an ex- heroin addict, amirite?” 

“Not bad at all, Master Klaus.”

Once Pogo was gone Klaus turned to face the mirror one last time, he looked - he looked real good, if he did say so himself. After an entire day with his sisters shopping he landed on a full white outfit; He wore a slightly see through lace shirt with a high collar that fell to his knees like a dress. Underneath he wore simple white pants, white dress shoes and he completed the look with a long white coat with an antique belt and buckle which he left open. The high collar had circular gold designs which matched the lace and as always he wore Dave’s dog tags and the star of David that Frank had given him. 

He let his hair fall mostly free save for the braids down the sides which kept it out of his face. The dark brown locks looked black against his white jacket. He had carefully applied his makeup that morning - wishing that Allison wasn’t having such a stressful morning and that she could have helped him. But he was pleased with the look. 

He inspected his reflection, trying to bring a sense of realism to the moment. 

He walked out of the room and into the unnaturally quiet house, just a couple hours previously it had been like old times. People were rushing everywhere, arguing, getting ready. Klaus and Dave had been woken up earlier than they wanted due to a screaming match between Theo and Daisy over something someone stole from someone’s room or something or rather. Klaus couldn’t remember. Dave had rolled over with a groan, stating ‘What could they possibly be so angry about, they don’t even pay taxes yet.”

But now, Klaus was probably the only person in the house - save for the few roaming ghosts but he kept them away. It gave him time to roam and think, memories of all the times (Mostly bad, some good) he had experienced in this house. After the wedding he and Dave planned on going house hunting immediately - Klaus missed his home and living here left him in a state of constant limbo. 

He was getting a little worried when Allison burst through the door wearing her wedding attire, “I am so sorry! The airport was a nightmare!” She gasped, out of breath. 

A small face poked out from behind her dress and Klaus found himself kneeling down to her level, “Hi there!” He said in his most non threatening voice. 

Allison pulled Claire from behind her and held her hand, she squatted down next to her daughter, “Sweetie, this is your uncle Klaus - The Seance - like from the stories I tell you.”

Claire smiled shyly, “I know.” She said and approached him. 

“Oh, you’re so big! Those pictures were lying! I thought you were like this big!” He held out his fingers about two inches apart. 

She giggled and he held out his hand, “It’s so nice to meet you, Claire. Your mom has told me so many wonderful things about you.”

She took his hand and shook it, glancing up at her mother who beamed proudly. 

“And I know I just met you but I was wondering if you could do a big favor for me? You’re the only one who can do it, I promise.”

She nodded. 

He put two pleading hands together, “Would you do me the honor of being my flower girl at my wedding?”

Klaus knew that Allsion had already explained all of this - In fact it was this little loop hole that allowed them to convince Patrick to let Claire see her mother. But family drama aside, he wanted to ask her himself. 

“I’d even pay you! How does fifty bucks sound?”

Claire’s eyes lit up. 

“Klaus!” Allison scolded him. 

“Okay, ten bucks.” Then he held up his hand like his sister wouldn’t be able to hear him “I’ll give you the rest later.” He whispered. 

Allison rolled her eyes. 

“Okay!” Claire happily snatched the ten dollar bill out of his hands. 

“Really!? Thank you so much!.” He clapped. 

When he stood up his sister shook her head with an amused grin. 

“Don’t look at me like that, I’ve got a lot of competition for favorite uncle - Vanya gets to sit up on her golden throne of best aunt-hood while the rest of us have to fight. Money talks, sis.”

“If you’re done bribing my daughter, we better get to the park before you’re late to your own wedding.” 

Klaus grinned, “How in character would that be?”

************************************************************************************************************

They had picked a small clearing at the park for the wedding, simply setting up a few chairs and an altar. Although everyone kind of expected Klaus to go wild he had instead kept it simple. There wasn’t a lot of people there either, most of their personal friends had been left in the 80s so it was basically just family. 

Dave’s parents were in the front row with Pogo and his siblings were scattered around everywhere else causing a surprisingly minimal amount of trouble for once in their lives. Lucy was there, occasionally kicking a ghostly invisible leg through Luther’s back causing him to shiver and comment on the chilly breeze. Vanya was sitting next to the altar with her violin ready. She had insisted on doing the music, clarifying that she got antsy when there was nothing to do with her hands (And the last thing they wanted was for the white violin to get antsy)

Klaus noticed pointedly that Diego wasn’t in his seat and his heart dropped. He looked around and he gasped when he saw his brother coming from the side, holding gently on to his elbow was Grace. The blue lights from her processors lit up beautifully as she took in all the brand new sights of the outside world. 

Klaus raised his arms, “You convinced her!” He walked up to them. 

Grace’s head tilted sweetly, “I wouldn’t miss this for the world, dear!”

He glanced at Diego, “You worried me there for a second.”

His brother scoffed, “You think I’d miss this? What kind of brother do you think I am?”

“The kind who likes to get into fights with Gangs for funsies.” He retorted. 

Diego rolled his eyes and then left Grace with Klaus to find a seat. Grace inspected her son,   
“You look lovely, darling!”

“Thanks mom.” He reached out and touched her arm, “Hey, I wanted to ask you something - But I didn’t know if you would be able to come.”

“Ask away, dear!” She practically sang. 

“I was wondering if you would walk me down the aisle?”

She tilted her head as if processing this request, “Nothing would make me happier!”

Klaus exhaled, “Really? That’s wonderful.”

Klaus waited patiently with Grace while everyone got in their places, he actively did not watch. He wanted that moment of reveal.

He should have at least peeked, he realized, because when Grace tugged on his arm and walked him to the end of the aisle he felt like bursting into tears. Under the altar Dave stood proudly on the right in his full dress uniform, he was holding Ben as his best man (Baby) and next to him as his maid of honor Daisy stood, only bouncing a little in her dress shoes. 

Next to Klaus’ spot, Theo waited as his best man in a sleek suit, looking like a small adult. Hand on his son’s shoulder stood his brother Ben, smiling fondly at his dumbass brother at the other end of the aisle. Next to him Sassy sat obediently in front of a pillow with two rings.

It had been easier to arrange the wedding party like this because if you choose one brother or sister to be your best man or maid of honor - someone will definitely be mad. And when you’re dead you get both naming rights and best man status. 

Vanya began to play a lovely song on the violin, her hands focused but her eyes glancing up to watch the procession.

Klaus covered his mouth and let out an involuntary ‘Oh’ as his niece began trotting professionally in front of him, throwing flower petals in her wake. He waited until she was done, mouthing a quick ‘thank you’ as she twirled around and went to sit in Allison’s lap. 

Before he knew what was happening he was moving languidly forward, his arm locked with his mothers as she beamed proudly. She led him to his place at the altar and kissed his cheek, leaving him there and finding a seat next to Pogo. 

Klaus turned to Theo first, “You look so grown up.” He whined barely above a whisper. Ben winked at his nephew. 

“Don’t cry mom.” The teenager warned.. 

Klaus hissed at him playfully and then faced his soon to be husband. Dave was beaming, his face was bright red. He leaned forward “You look beautiful.” He whispered. 

“So do you, soldier- I forgot how good you look in a uniform.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“You’re right. I didn’t. I was just throwing you off.” Klaus retorted, happy for something to break the emotional tension in the air. 

Five teleported between them and both men straightened their backs and looked at each other. The magenta suit truly brought out his eyes. He waited for Vanya’s number to be finished, he had a book in one hand and a margarita in the other. He gulped down the last of the alcohol and set the glass carefully down by his feet. 

He cleared his throat, “I am honored that the couple chose me to officiate - even though I got my certification online, yesterday and am only slightly drunk.” The crowd laughed. 

“Dearly beloved-” He began, “We are gathered here today because two soldiers; My brother and one, David Katz, deserve to have their love and sacrifices celebrated and acknowledged.” His tone was sharp and to the point, “Any objections will not be tolerated.” 

He flipped the obviously blank page of a book he was pretending to read, “I will now read you all a customary quote that I thought applied nicely to their relationship.” He flipped another blank page, “‘In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine’ This was written by Maya Angelou so you know it’s a good quote. I picked this quote because I looked at the extraordinary circumstances with which David Katz and my brother Klaus united and I could only come to one conclusion - that even time and space are no match for two souls who are supposed to be with each other. That somewhere out there, in the world, there is another soul which will heal us and give us some semblance of redemption in a cold, cruel world.” 

“I will now go through the customary promise list that the couple must agree to, everyone stay in your seats, this will be the most boring part of the ceremony.” 

They moved through the appropriate paces and repeated the words that Five asked them to and when he finished, he snapped his completely empty book and held it in front of him. “Now that that’s over with, would either groom like to say a few words?”

Dave tense, he glanced towards his parents then faced his partner. “I- Uh- I’ve always called you angel, and that’s because 15 years ago when I was sleeping in the middle of a warzone in Vietnam you fell out of the sky in a flash of blue light.” He cleared his throat, “But that’s not the main reason I call you that, the reason that I call you angel is because in the following months you became my main source of kindness, and peace, and beauty in the most violent place on earth.”

“And it’s funny because, back then I really thought that I loved you but here we are fifteen years and three children later and I realize that I didn’t even understand what that word meant yet. You’ve managed to light up my life for the past fifteen years and now I’m looking forward to many more years of you constantly proving me wrong when I think that I can’t possibly love you more.”

He bowed his head and nodded towards Five, “That’s all.” He mumbled. 

Five smirked and looked at his brother who had just turned pale, “You want to follow that up, bro?”

Klaus let out a shaky breath, “Oh man, real bad time to have lost that coin toss when we decided who was going first.” He mumbled in a trembling voice. He glanced at his family and then back down to the ground. 

Theo grabbed his hand and nodded at him. He cleared his throat, nodding back, then he lifted his head and looked at Dave. He took a deep breath and squeezed his son’s hand, “So- when I first met Dave I was a drug addict and an alcoholic - I did a lot of things I wasn’t proud of.” 

Klaus stuttered slightly and shook his head, “He didn’t change those things about me but he did show me that I deserved to be loved and to be treated with kindness. Dave - He’s- “ Klaus locked eyes with Dave “Your-” He corrected himself “A hero. You’re a sweet, sweet person who wants to make the world a better place and you lift everyone around you up. Being in your presence has made me a better, more lovable person because you loved me when I was unlovable.”

He sighed, “Oh, I’ve seen some horrible things but having you in my life gives me hope that everything is going to be okay. You’re a wonderful father, a great partner, my best friend - you’re everything I don’t deserve and I’m honored that you would choose to spend your life with me because there’s nobody but you for me.” He blinked slowly and glanced at Five. 

“Okay, well, that should be everything. I - uh - now pronounce you husband and husband.” He bowed and took a step back, “You may now kiss the groom.”

“Oh thank god.” Klaus moved forward, grabbed his husband and kissed him in earnest. Dave pulled his free arm around him and didn’t move when Klaus broke off the kiss and turned his head away from the crowd desperately attempting not to let the tears fall and ruin his very expensive eyeliner. It wasn’t working very well. He pressed his face against Dave’s chest and they held each other while their families clapped and cheered. 

Klaus moved to hold Ben’s face and kiss him on either cheek. Dave lifted the toddler up and handed him to his mom. They seemed to circle up, Daisy latched onto her pops’ middle and Theo standing with a grin next to his brother. 

Little Ben seemed to be really enjoying being in the center of attention, his head bobbled and he glanced between each of his fathers. He reached towards Dave “Poppa!” he cried. 

They all stared at him in shock for a moment before Klaus groaned and Dave bent over laughing. He stood back up grinning triumphantly, “Remember, small bills only, Hargreeves.”

Klaus rolled his eyes, “Har-har - You know what? I take it all back.”

“No take backs.” Dave lifted a finger. 

“Yeah, right-” He faced the toddler on his hip and buried his face in his neck causing him to burst out in a fit of giggles “You can forget about that five bucks, kid.”

Dave smirked, “Look, we can’t all be winners.”

Klaus made a face but allowed his husband to pull him and the children into a huddled embrace at the altar before their families began to crowd them. 

When Klaus returned to the mansion with his family for the reception he broke away from his family as they danced and ate an exorbitant amount of food and the brilliant cake that Grace had baked. He was still in his wedding attire when he slipped into his old bedroom, he picked up a sharpie and laid down on his bed facing the wall

In an empty space of wall he wrote, 

“Dear Four,  
Don’t give up.   
It’s going to be okay.  
I love you.   
Sincerely, Klaus. 

He sighed, popped the cap on the marker and then went back downstairs to celebrate his marriage with the people who meant the most to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is technically the last chapter! Whooo! But I am probably going to leave it open for any random one shots that come up. Oh! And if you guys have any prompts within this AU that you want me to write feel free to send them my way and I'll see what I can do!   
> Comments are always appreciated!  
> Thanks so much for reading!


	18. Honeymoon (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time and space get messed up even more than they already were and Klaus and Dave just want to have some time to themselves during their much deserved honeymoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Testing something out! Hopefully you guys enjoy it!

“Okay, I’m not sending you very far this time- When you get there I need you to start recording immediately. I’ll be keeping track of your bio readings from here but I need you to tell me any and all symptoms as they arise, you got it?”

Daisy Katz sat in front of a massive digital switchboard, her hands moved expertly through the varying switches and knobs that covered it. She was surrounded by technology that looked to be a mixture of steam punk and modern technology. To her right was a large monitor which showed a human figure- the bones, tendons, and nerves were displayed separately in great detail. The figure seemed to be stretching. 

“I thought the whole point of this was to stop the symptoms of time travel?”

“And I think this will- But it’s not exact and I’ll need to adjust if any new symptoms arise- So, make sure to pay attention to anything that you haven’t experienced before.”

The figure on the screen started doing “the running man” Dance. 

“What kind of new symptoms are we talking about here? Like a mild rash or something falling off?”

Daisy rolled over to the other side of her setup and lifted up a panel, she began to move some wires around- her mouth moved silently as she calculated her next steps. “Hopefully none, also I’m not contractually obligated to tell you if you might lose an appendage- so- but It’ll probably be fine.” She twisted around in her chair and winked. 

Ben Katz was standing in the middle of a round padded area, he had a backpack over his shoulders and a rubber ghost mask hanging from his belt. He huffed, “Damn, I knew I should have read past the ‘lunch provided’ part of the contract. Oh well…” 

He stuck in an ear piece and flashed a thumbs up “Good to go, sis!”

“Hold still…” She pulled out a keyboard and began typing at almost inhuman speeds into a green monitor. Equations flashed through the screen and with one last smack of a blue button a purple light enveloped the room. With a snap her brother was whisked away leaving only the imprint of his boots on the padded floor. 

She rolled diagonally and snatched up a headset - She turned the dial and listened. She frowned, “Ben, I told you to start recording immediately.” 

There was no answer. 

“Ben? Are you there?”

She looked through her switchboard then when nothing became apparent there she read through her pages of equations. She came across something that made her head tilt to the left and she stood up, pulling a rough looking disk from the cabinet above her head. 

She twisted the old metal and a 3D hologram appeared in front of her eyes. It was just a singular mass of blackness that warped and twisted into itself. She used her pointer finger to move the hologram around and after connecting this disk to her computer a miniscule sliver of the black hole lit up in red. 

She grabbed at it and expanded and pulled it apart. She checked her conclusions one more time then sat back in her chair. Her mouth was moving silently but intently as her mind raced through what she had just discovered. 

“Oh no…”

**********************************************************************

“Alright, Dais’ –Starting to record… Now. Feeling good so far. No headache so that’s great- I don’t feel disoriented...” Ben padded down his body. “No itching yet.”

He checked his crotch then wigged his legs around, “Everything seems to be attached – Dias’ you getting this?”

He tapped his earpiece – there was only a flat silence coming through. He pulled it out, checked it then placed it back into his ear. “Dais’?”

Again, there was no answer. This certainly wasn’t the first time some small piece of tech had messed up during a travel, Daisy was usually able to fix it - although Ben didn’t like the silence.

He inspected his surroundings, he just had to assume his recorder was working so he continued to speak in a low whisper, “Alright, looks like a bar of some sort - It’s a tacky Tiki bar - seems mostly empty..” He clocked a bartender working away in the back. 

Ben moved backwards into the darkened corner. An elevator on the other side of the room opened and he crouched in the shadows behind a table. “Holy shit… Dais’ It’s mom…” He craned his neck to see through the chairs, “And everyone else too- Uncle Five looks like a kid. Uncle Diego looks like an accountant for some reason.”

He watched as his family all but fell out of the elevator and moved into the room and to the central table. He noticed that his mom was lagging behind the rest, his steps were wobbly and uncoordinated. Ben frowned as his mom pulled a small flask from his pocket and took a lazy swig. 

“I thought you said you were sending me to 2014? I have no idea when or where this is… I’m gonna see what happens. I won’t interfere or get involved, I promise.”

He watched as his family argued and messed with each other- His uncle Diego threw a conch shell and he covered his mouth to hide the surprised giggle that almost escaped. 

Then the double doors to the bar slammed open and a strange but familiar old man waltzed inside in pure agitation and indignation. Ben tapped his earpiece, which was still silent. “Holy-- Daisy- Reginald just showed up…” His voice trailed off as he continued to listen to the conversation which meant nothing without context. 

He was surprised, however, that none of this was familiar at all - His mom looked a lot like the old pictures of him when he was living in the 70s after Theo was born. At this age, Reginald should have been dead and his aunts and uncles wouldn’t have been here. So what the hell were they doing?

He couldn’t stop staring at the old man, his “grandfather”. Mom rarely talked about the man and when he did it was always with disdain. Pops never called him their “grandfather” only “the man who raised your father”. He never felt like a real person, just some evil fable and a creepy painting. 

The family conversation was taking a turn and Ben internally cheered as his uncle Diego stood up and began to lay it all out for the old man. The accusations were insane but Ben was just along for the ride at this point. 

Then it changed. Reginald’s face turned sharp and even crueler. He began to degrade Diego and chastise the whole family. His reputation was truly no joke. These were grown ass adults- people that Ben loved and respected and he cut through them like nothing at all.

Ben’s heart thudded painfully in his chest then it broke when his uncle Diego tried to speak and it came out as a broken stutter. 

Ben hated the triumphant and self important upwards turn in the old man’s face. Ben was close to Diego, all of them were, he was the man who watched out for them. The man he would go to for advice or when he got in over his head. He was the uncle they would go to when they needed to talk about something that maybe their parents didn’t need to know. He always loved them in his own way and always had their backs, no matter what.

Ben’s lungs burned with anger, he tapped the ear piece “Daisy - I’m about to do something really stupid- If you want me to stop nows the time to tell me.” There was no reply. 

He shrugged to himself, “Well, I tried.” 

He stood up in one motion and walked to the middle table. In one movement he scooped up his Aunt Allison’s drink and splashed it in the old man’s face. The whole table gasped and froze. 

“Shut the hell up, you sad, sociopathic old fuck--” He grabbed the front of Reginald’s suit and pushed him against another table, “If you ever speak to my un-- To Diego like that again - we’re going to have a real problem you piece of shit.” Okay, so maybe subtlety was never Ben’s strong suit…

Reginald slammed his fists down to break the hold on his suit and Ben ducked as the old man swung a truly devastating punch directly at his face. 

“How dare you!” He spat. 

“HoW DarE yOU!” Ben repeated in a mocking tone then landed a hit to the old man’s stomach. 

Ben took a step back to get his bearings, “Uncle Diego’s ten times the man you’ll ever be.” 

He was caught off guard by just how fast this old guy truly was and in a moment of weakness his knee was twisted and he fell down. Reginald turned him around and slammed him into the table. He looked around, slightly embarrassed now - They were staring at him with gawking open mouths. 

He was closest to his father now. Klaus held a drink up with one hand lifted in defense - frozen in place. There was no recognition in his eyes but his face was lined with concern and confusion - and maybe something akin to sympathy. 

Ben was 20 years old and in great shape- so it was weird that he couldn’t seem to break the old man’s grasp. He struggled, only hearing partials of what insults and threats were being thrown at him by his grandfather. 

“It’s chill - Ma- “ Ben grunted, Immediately regretting what he had just said, “I got this.” 

A wave of blue glow rippled through his body and in a slow fluid motion he stepped backwards and phased directly through Reginald. He stumbled back with a shudder, the old man was caught completely off guard and even seemed to be shaking at the momentary possession. 

Ben wasted no time; He grabbed the nearest chair and slammed it down on Reginald’s back. He collapsed unconscious but alive to the floor. Ben dropped the remaining pieces of chair and did an uncomfortable little dance trying to shake the feeling of moving through someone’s body. 

He groaned and glanced around- It all happened too fast for anybody to do anything so most of his family was just staring but Five was on his feet- his eyes alight with confusion and rage. “Who the hell are you?” He snarled. 

Then everyone else began speaking at the same time, hurling questions and accusations. 

Ben ignored them and looked at Klaus, - “Jesus - Take it easy, mom- “ He grabbed the glass of alcohol from his mom’s hand and in one smooth motion gulped it down. 

Klaus stared up at him- searching his face but finding nothing- the now empty hand was shaking in the air. Ben moved past him, ignoring all the other voices and gave Klaus a quick hug. He kissed his head. The man who would be his mom- gasped and froze. 

“Uncle Ben, what’re you doing back here?”

His dead uncle’s mouth dropped but he didn’t fight it as Ben pushed his chair next to Klaus - he suddenly became visible to everyone at the table. 

Ben sighed and began to walk towards the double doors, a perfectly aimed knife whizzed past his ear and into the wall. He grinned, pulled it out and, just like his uncle taught him threw it back into the middle of the table. He didn’t bend it’s trajectory but it was a good throw nonetheless - he pulled a quick finger gun then bolted through the doors. 

“Ben?!”

Daisy’s voice finally crackled through the earpiece as Ben heard Five behind him and sped up through the halls. 

“Nice of you to join us!”

“Ben! I --”

“Look, I may have broken a tiny rule but I really don’t think it’s going to be a problem - Also, any chance you can get me out of here? I’m about to get my ass whooped by a 13 year old and honestly I’m a little fuzzy on the ethics of defending myself in this situation.” Ben rambled breathlessly as he found a stairwell and ran full speed two steps at a time. 

“Don’t move.” Daisy ordered. 

Ben stalled in place, he cringed but just as his Uncle Five’s fist was about to make contact with his face he spiraled away in a burst purple light. He launched horizontally face first back on the soft rounded floor mat in Daisy’s lab. 

He cheered then went limp with a groan, “So good news is I didn’t get a headache--” He mumbled against the pad “The bad news is I had to punch gramps in the stomach.”

When there was no response he glanced up thoughtfully, “I thought you’d be madder about that, honestly…”

Daisy was still in her chair - She turned around slowly to face her brother, “Ben- That wasn’t our timeline- I sent you to another universe’s timeline…” 

He groaned as he stood up and straightened his back. He moved to stand behind her. He squinted, 

“Huh- Are all those lights supposed to be flashing red?”

************************************************************************************

Klaus finished getting ready in the bedroom and then tip toed out- Leaving little Ben fast asleep in his bed then made his way through the now quiet house. A few hours ago it had been busy as hell with the reception – dancing and arguing and drinking- but now most of his siblings had gone home and Grace was getting the home ready to sleep.

He knocked on the first door he came to. He heard a shuffling of objects - then it went silent again. 

“Come in!”

He wasn’t surprised by the blanket fort that he immediately came face to face with but he was surprised by the sheer size of the thing. Daisy and Claire poked their heads out simultaneously. Claire was a few years younger than Daisy, but they had hit it off instantaneously which everyone was a little nervous about.

Daisy was laying sideways obviously attempting to hide what Klaus could only assume was a hoard of stolen snacks under a blanket – “I thought you guys had already left.”

“And not say good- bye to my girls? I wouldn’t dream of it!”

Claire sat up “You’ll need a password to get in – we don’t make the rules.”

They giggled. 

Klaus snapped his fingers – “Darn it!” He patted down his skirt “I must have left it in my other dress- Can I have a quick one time pass? Please?” He pouted.

Daisy put a finger up “Just one time.”

He clapped, “Yay!” And collapsed into the blanket fort. “This place is rockin’ – who’re you planning on invading?”

“Anybody who crosses us.” Claire said, seriously.

“Fair enough.”

Daisy pulled a string and a curtain was pulled back revealing a TV, “We’re watching movies and we’ve also got music--” She lifted up the radio. 

“Looks like you guys are all set for the night— Got any snacks?”

Daisy squinted at him defiantly and reached behind her to pull out a tray of celery and peanut butter. She set it down proudly, “Grandma Grace made this for us.” She flashed her most innocent smile. 

“Those look so tasty! I was just asking because --” He leaned forward “I heard that a bunch of cake and candy went missing from the reception and you know- I thought maybe you could hook me up with a cupcake?” 

“What are you a cop?”

Klaus snorted. Oh no. She picked up on his phrasing way too easily. 

“How long are you and pops going to be gone?”

Klaus raised an eyebrow, “Are you asking out of concern or are there time sensitive mischief happenings I’m not aware of?”

“Why can’t it be both?”

“I mean, fair enough – We’ll be back Monday. In the morning, hopefully –“ Klaus pouted “Because I miss you guys.”

“We’ll be okay! Have fun!” Daisy crawled over and hugged him.

He squeezed her back theatrically, “In other words ‘get out of the fort, mom- we’re busy’ – I see how it is.”

“I didn’t say it, you did!”

“Yeah, yeah – I’m leaving- Don’t party too hard without me.”

He escorted himself out of the room with difficulty and brushed off his dress. He dutifully went to the next door and knocked.

“Yeah?”

He opened it and leaned against the frame, “We’re heading out for the weekend- Just wanted to say bye!” He waved his “GOOD-BYE” palm out towards where Theo was sitting on the floor playing some kind of handheld video game.

He looked up, “Okay, have fun!”

Klaus inspected him, “Is there something you need to talk to me about?”

Theo tensed but glanced up and tilted his head, “What?”

Klaus crossed his arms and settled into the doorframe, “Earlier today, you were trying to tell me something, but we got interrupted by the bro squad. ”

“Oh! Um- You know, I don’t even remember what it was now.” Theo shrugged “Someone was probably looking for you.” He flashed a carefree smile.

“Hm, okay – but if you need something call us- Your dad gave you all the numbers, right?”

Theo rolled his eyes, “I’m fine, mom! We already went over all this! It’s just two days!”

Klaus made a cat noise, “Okay, okay! I see you’ve got everything under control.” He paused, “I love you, Teddy bear.”

Theo mumbled something.

“What was that? I think there’s water in my ears – “

Theo groaned, “I love you too, mom!” He repeated louder.

“That’s it- “Klaus grinned as he closed the door, “Okayloveyoumissyoubyelove.”

Klaus stopped for a moment after he shut the teenager’s door and frowned. He sighed and against his instincts just walked away. Made his way through the rest of the house until he found Dave sitting at the bar with Frank. They were chatting idly and sipping on drinks as Klaus walked up.

Klaus cleared his throat and twirled. He was in a white sundress with a loose plunging neckline and an embroidered skirt that went just past his knees. The dress was sleeveless which showed off his tattoos. He completed the look with sandals. It was 2019 in the city, after all, and he could wear whatever the hell he wanted in public.

This dress was a close second choice to be his wedding attire and he definitely wasn’t going to waste it.

Dave glanced up and choked on his drink, quickly wiping the spillage from the front of his shirt. He coughed and stood up, leaving his drink at the bar.

Klaus flashed a playful grin, “I’m sorry, did I startle you?”

“You did something to me, that’s for sure.” He grabbed Klaus’ hand and twirled him around one more time and then pulled him close. “You look beautiful, husband.”

Klaus hummed, “I know. You look pretty fine yourself, husband.”

They turned back to where Frank was looking at the bottles of alcohol in the back of the bar- suddenly very interested in reading all the labels. 

“I have been kicked out of every kids room so far this evening and all I can say is --” Klaus took a gliding step towards Frank with his arms outstretched, “Good luck - You’re going to need it.”

“We can handle them- You two just, enjoy some time off.” He assured, still reading the label on a ridiculously old bottle of wine. 

“You heard the man, they’ll be fine--” Dave tugged Klaus away and pressed a kiss into the side of his head. 

“Did you say goodbye to the kids?”

“Yeah, like an hour ago.” Dave chuckled, “They want us out of their hair as much as I want some alone time with you.”

Klaus’ shoulder’s relaxed as they shuffled out the front door and into the warm night, “Yeah - they made that very clear.”

The pair had originally intended to go to some of the cities more interesting clubs and dance - watching all the young people get wasted and make bad decisions but they ended up strolling through the city on foot. Maybe it was because they were already worn out by the reception or maybe they just truly wanted some alone time, either way they ended up walking through the city- in the general direction of their hotel. 

“You really know this place like the back of your hand…” Dave murmured as they walked hand in hand. They had moved through some truly unique and beautiful sights in the city - places that tourists would miss. Klaus never got lost once. 

They were strolling through the outskirts of a park now, a cramped bit of countryside placed directly in the middle of the city. A well meaning attempt to give the local residents a taste of nature. The lights were dim here next to the narrow sidewalk that wound its way through curated gardens. Occasionally they would be passed by another couple but other than that it was much quieter in this area. 

“I can’t believe I still do- I don’t even remember how I know some of these places.” He huffed out a small laugh, eyes scanning over the darkened bushes. 

“You’re still okay with this right?” Dave started hesitantly. 

Klaus shot him a surprised look, “I’d think so- I just married you after all - If you’re having second thoughts now, I don’t know what to tell you except you better stick it out for the rest of the weekend.” He laughed. 

Dave bumped into him and rolled his eyes, “I meant staying in the future-- I don’t want to push you into something you don’t want.”

“Thank god- Dave- I have kissed you more times in public tonight than I have in our entire time together - I know staying here is the right choice. I just don’t want to forget all the things we built in the past - I never imagined I could be so fond- That house with all the shitty plumbing and too tiny of a kitchen was so special.”

They sat down on one of the benches in front of a display of flowers that Klaus didn’t recognize but he thought they were so cliche. He laid his head against his husband and closed his eyes. “Hm, I felt like a better person there - Always worried that all that would dissolve if I came back to this place.”

“Dissolve into what?”

“Dissolve into that poor, sad man who was always running - who was so, so tired and scared all the time. Scared of his own shadow, scared of the people he loved, scared of looking into a mirror perchance he see a human there.A human that should have tried harder.” Klaus’ free hand waved blissfully with every word as if he were leading a small orchestra. 

Klaus shifted his body, pulling his legs to the side and getting comfortable, “Then I met this guy - and he was like ‘Hey, don’t say those things - I think you’re pretty neat’ Then he was like ‘hey, I don’t care where you’ve been - I’m just happy you’re here now’ and I just swooned. I decided that I would just have to follow him anywhere.”

“He sounds like a pretty smart guy.”

Klaus giggled, “Yeah- he was a nerd.”

“Well, I don’t think you need to worry about anything dissolving-- Nothing you made for yourself was a smokescreen.” Dave grabbed Klaus’ hands and pulled him forward onto the sidewalk - he pressed him into his chest, face to face and they began to step to an invisible rhythm. 

“What do you know?” Klaus grinned, “Maybe under all this stable family man act I’m still just a burger wrapper floating through the streets- greasy and free?”

Dave twirled him around - “You’re not that good at acting - Plus- you’ve been looking at that payphone for the past twenty minutes- I can tell you want to call the house to check on the kids.” 

Klaus dipped down, his eyes shifting to the phone on the other side of the street that he could just barely see through the trees, “It’s weird that Reggie didn’t like us right? I miss my babies when they aren’t with me- I like their little personalities - they’re cool little shits.”

Dave laughed, “Yeah- Well, he was a sociopath - You’re supposed to love your children.” He leaned in and pressed a slow kiss into his husband’s neck, “If you want to call, you should probably go ahead and do it- I think we should go to the hotel next.” 

“Yeah…” Klaus responded a little breathlessly “Just a quick call - then room.”

He pulled himself away and started towards the payphone, he was about 50 feet away when the snap of a twig behind him caused Dave to turn around. The butt of a gun slammed into his jaw and he tumbled backwards, catching his footing and throwing a punch at his attacker. 

“Dave?!” Klaus turned back. 

Dave was struggling with the man, when he saw another man- a man in a suit and a bunny mask close in on Klaus who was distracted with helping his husband. Klaus’ hands went forward and flashed blue, immediately several ghostly figures became apparent and they screamed angrily to the seance’s bidding. 

The bunny masked man efficiently came up behind Klaus, grabbed his face and stabbed something into his stomach. Dave screamed, expecting to see blood pouring out but instead when the Bunny man stepped away calmly, Klaus used a trembling hand to pull a needle out of his abdomen. He stared at it in horror and let it drop to the sidewalk. The blue light swirling through his fingers fizzled out and he stumbled backwards. 

He fell to his knees; eyes wide and struggling to focus. The bunny man walked up a moment later and took a handful of his hair and pulled up painfully. He watched thoughtfully as Dave brought the other man down, kicking his head and snatching the gun from his hands turning immediately to point it at the bunny man. 

“Lets play a game.” The bunny man twisted Klaus’ hair and rammed the gun into his temple, “How many bullets before he doesn't get back up?”

Dave wordlessly tossed the gun to the side and dropped to his knees. He raised his hands over his head in surrender and watched in horror as the bunny man shook Klaus and laughed, “Smart man, Katz.” 

He let go and Klaus fell forward onto the concrete. He was clinging to consciousness and he attempted to crawl towards Dave. He made it about a foot when he collapsed, his fingers continued scraping against the sidewalk uselessly. 

************************************************************************

Klaus couldn’t tell if they had been there for days or weeks - he was losing entire chunks of time and it all faded in and out. He didn’t know if he had been given any food or water - but he wasn’t dead so they must have given him something, right? The thought made him sick. Everything made him sick, he could hear voices and arguing conversations, he could feel movement around him but he couldn’t tell what they were doing. 

“Angel?” 

Klaus struggled against the weight on his eyelids and the heaviness in his bones. He rolled over and let his arm fall through the clear bars of his cell. He attempted to focus; the world was a confusing, spinning blur and he felt nauseous opening his eyes.

He felt pressure in his open palm and he closed his fingers around the hand. Dave was laying on his side in the next cell, he was reaching across holding Klaus’ hand. 

“You’re awake…” Dave breathed, “Are you with me, Angel?”

Klaus groaned, “I- I can’t think…” He was so frustrated but too exhausted to do anything about it. 

“I know- Just hold on - we’re going to get out of here, soon, okay? That asshole messed up - something happened and the commission is in shambles - they’re trying to fix it. I think we’re just the bait. ”

“I want to go home…” Klaus murmured, his tongue felt heavy and dry in his mouth. 

“We’re going home soon- I’m going to get us out of here, okay?”

Klaus attempted to nod but when he moved his head another wave of nausea washed over him and he gagged, he spit up and groaned. “Yuck..”

Dave’s face was intense, he was staring around the area nervously. Klaus knew something was wrong when he shifted forward and squeezed his hand, “This isn’t your fault, do you understand me? We’re going to get you out of here and you’re going to be okay.”

Klaus heard the door to his cell open, his heart thumped painfully in his chest and he reached out his other hand - grasping to Dave’s fingers. “No... “

Someone grabbed him and twisted him around, he left claw marks on Dave’s skin as his hands were pulled away. The person set him up against the wall, Klaus angrily threw his hands out - his movements were stuttering and sluggish as he attempted to push them away. He used all of his focus to make out a face and he began to scratch and claw at them. 

“He can’t even use his powers- leave him alone!” Dave yelled from the other cell. 

The person sighed, he moved Klaus’ arms away with little effort. 

“Go away!” Klaus slurred.

The person used one hand to pry Klaus’ jaw open, they dropped a pill on his tongue and used two fingers to press it down his throat. Klaus gagged and flailed with whatever was left of his energy. 

The person wiped the prisoner’s face and flashed a light into both of his eyes. They seemed satisfied, they left Klaus leaning against the wall, mouth hanging open. Klaus sobbed and began to slide down the wall. 

“Roll to your side, Klaus. I know it’s hard but I need you to try.”

Klaus obliged, moving with difficulty to his right side. He stared at where he knew Dave was reaching towards him as the sedative began to take over. 

“Dave…” He whimpered. 

“It’s okay, Klaus, I won’t let them hurt you- I promise. Just go to sleep, don’t fight it - I’ll watch over you.”

He faded away into a heavy drug induced sleep. When he finally became somewhat conscience again he was being jostled forward, he was upright and he was being carried by two people. They were running and it was sending pains through his body which had been motionless for who knows how long. 

“I’m sorry, baby.” Dave’s voice came through the fog as he was dragged up a set of stairs. 

He blacked out again. 

When he slowly opened his eyes he could see two figures moving in front of him. They were talking hurriedly, Klaus picked up on words like “Unstable” “I’m going to try” “Hold still” then he heard Dave’s voice close to his ear “We’re almost out of here, angel, just hold on.”

A flash of blue light burned his eyes and suddenly he was falling. He fell face first onto freezing cold pavement- he felt his entire face smash into the ground. He went limp and blacked out. 

When he became conscious again he could see that he was in some sort of alleyway, it was nighttime and the lights of the city illuminated an overfilled dumpster. He was freezing cold and he could see his breath. There were people around him, he guessed three or four, they were prodding him and kicking him lightly. 

Klaus coughed, suddenly feeling like there were rocks in his throat - he covered his face with his hands. The group of people became rougher, they grabbed him and threw him against the side of the building. They were yelling and laughing, obviously drunk or high. 

“He doesn’t even know where he’s at!”

“He’s fucked up, man-”

“What do you want to do with him?”

Klaus screamed and attempted to curl up - the world was spinning around him - This was his literal nightmare. He was struggling to form any context to what was happening to him- He couldn’t seem to remember how he ended up in this position. 

They didn’t let him fall to the ground and instead one of the figures held him up, grabbing his wrists away and inspecting his face. “This guy’s tweaking the hell out.”

“HEY!”

A voice came from the other side of the alley and Klaus was dropped, he collapsed onto the pavement, wrapping his arms around his own body. He gasped for air as panic and confusion took over. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” The man’s voice was slurred but angry. 

Klaus covered his ears and watched through blurry eyes as the man walked slowly up to his attackers. He was obviously drunk, stumbling forward but as they attempted to jump him he expertly dodged them and began swinging what looked like a random board he had picked up from the dumpster. 

Klaus watched as the large figure disposed of the men, they were still yelling as they bolted away down the alleyway. He threw the board down and approached cautiously. 

Klaus was trembling, either out of fear or from the freezing cold. His body was numb and the world was spinning and wobbling dangerously. He kept his head down and prayed that the man would leave him alone. 

He watched the man’s boots as he came closer, “Hey, friend, you need some help?” His voice was still slurred but it was gentle. 

Klaus didn’t respond. He whined as the man crouched down in front of him but he refused to look up even when he softly lifted up his face. 

“Are you hurt?”

Klaus’ eyes focused onto the man’s hand which was resting on his knee, the hand had a large burn scar that started at the palm and ended on the middle knuckle. It was shaped like South America. 

The man inhaled, “Mom?”

Klaus sobbed. 

“Ben?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Comments are always appreciated!!


	19. Honeymoon (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus, Dave, and Daisy land but Time travel isn't an exact science. Daisy gets closer to figuring out what is happening and Klaus is taken care of. Dave's just having a bad time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks for being patient! Work's been kicking my ass recently so I haven't had as much time to write. This one is a lot of filler while everyone is getting settled but it should get moving next chapter. Thanks so much for reading!

“Okay, okay, okay – This should be good – bring him over here –“Daisy motioned for Dave to move forward after checking the area. The rest of the commission agents were distracted by her little ruse, so the area was empty enough for her to set up.

Dave immediately limped over with Klaus hanging dead weight from his neck – they were in bad shape but at least her pops was still able to carry him.

“Look, this is totally my bad, I would go into it but you know it’s a lot of this and a lot of that and some more stuff all mixed together- Time traveling is already a really sensitive art and now the energy keeping all of the continuity and form glued together look more like a Jackson Pollock painting than the proper pointillism against the canvas of the known universe- also- it’s less of a canvas and more like a cloud!“

While Daisy spoke, she helped moved to the other side of her mom and helped Dave lower him down to the floor. He was drifting in and out of consciousness, when he would emerge from his stupor for a moment his eyes were glassy and confused.

Daisy checked her mom’s pulse one more time before turning around and setting up what she considered to be a severely primitive time traveling set up.

“Is he going to be okay to jump?” Dave held on to Klaus’ hand. He was beat down and exhausted. Also, he just met his daughter and she was 18 years older than when he had left her, Daisy sympathized but she was running out of options and she felt responsible for what was happening to them.

“Because of the interloping routes – “ She stopped and her eyes stared at the floor “It’s all unstable – I’m going to try to get us as close to possible to the safest time – I can’t drop you guys off in 2019 because it’s already been corrupted – There’s still a chance – “

“I mean physically—Sorry.”

“Yeah- yeah- He’ll be fine making the jump- sometimes doing it unconsciously is better anyway.” She pulled up a laptop and typed away for a few seconds – she mumbled “rudimentary – piece of-“

Daisy snapped it shut – “Okay- we’re ready- this is going to be a bumpy ride.” She turned to her father “Hold still.” She paused and readdressed him “Holding still actually has no impact on the success of a jump but I’ve found that saying it gives people more confidence in my abilities so…”

Dave put a hand on her shoulder, she purposely drew her eyes away from the nasty bruise blooming across the right side of his jaw – “Daisy, I have no idea what’s going on but I trust you.”

She nodded.

Dave knelt and grabbed Klaus’ hand – Her mom’s eyes were open, but it was impossible to tell if they were seeing or registering anything “We’re almost out of here, angel, just hold on.”

He nodded at daisy.

Blue energy surrounded them and a split second later they were spiraling through time and space. 

Daisy knew that it went wrong a moment later. She could feel the pull and the unsteady currents of the timeline, could almost feel her body nearly being sucked into the holes in the dimensional currents. She blocked her fathers from falling through a few of the weak spots, but she was inevitably thrown through one of the gashes. It was fitting, she thought, since she had caused all this mess in the first place.

She landed on her feet, her knees bounced to accommodate the force- Her uncle Diego taught her that trick. She barely had time to investigate her surroundings before a blue explosion pushed her backwards 200 feet into a random yard. A moment later pieces of a house were falling on top of her and she had to protect her head.

Daisy got back on her feet when the electricity in the air subsided and walked towards the explosion- she immediately recognized where she was and what had just happened. It was a truly unforgettable moment in her life, after all.

It took her a while to make it to the scene and when she arrived, she maintained a stealthy distance. She slipped on her ghost face mask and stood one the edge of the scene – everyone was too preoccupied to worry about a spying vagrant on the sidewalk.

She watched as her family arrived and began to dig through the rubble, looking for her and Theo’s younger self. It was hard to see her fathers breaking down- The guilt from that night had lingered years into the future but it came back like a train through her veins as she observed her mom coming apart at the seams. Blue energy swirled around his hands and body – snapping and cracking hazardously like electricity in water while he searched and called for his children.

Daisy sat down and began to empty the contents of her bag – due to the circumstances she was forced to initiate travels and sequences by hand – the old-fashioned way – like Uncle Five had to do. The scene was heartbreaking as it was but she needed to get back to 2037 when hopefully she had sent her fathers.

She was focused on her work – until she heard something she didn’t remember. She heard the initial “They’re in here!” Which was the same… But then she heard her pops make a sound that she never imagined a man like him could make.

She cautiously put her books back and stood up – looking over the edge of the rubble.

“He’s not breathing!” Dave screamed.

Her family moved the form of her big brother from the rubble- he was limp and there was something sticking out of his abdomen. She watched in horror as Klaus took him and desperately tried to revive his still form. She could hear her younger self crying from her father’s arms as he clung onto her and watched helplessly.

“No, no, no, no, no – This can’t be happening!” Klaus was putting pressure on the wound in his son’s side and was pressing against his chest frantically trying to find a breath.

Daisy watched Theo’s soul lift out of his body, take a step backwards and realize what was happening. Klaus saw this as well and he screamed. He wailed and clung onto Theo’s body, he was shaking him like that would restart his heart.

Daisy covered her mouth “This isn’t what happened…” She said out loud. Her voice was drowned out by the scene playing out in front of her. She looked down at her equations and began to amend them, scribbling away furiously.

Aunt Vanya stumbled backwards, she collapsed and sobbed against a broken beam. Klaus was glowing blue; the electric popping of blue energy became more intense and suddenly the lights of the city went dead and a generator down the street exploded followed by several more throughout the area – they shot off like grenades in the black night. Hordes of spirits and corpses screamed into the night and the sounds of panicked citizens spread.

“Shit!”

Aunt Vanya’s powers were spiraling and with every sound she was sending tidal waves of energy into the world. She was holding on her head attempting to contain the devastating energy. The world around them sounded like a zombie apocalypse and every second they encroached closer and closer. Both siblings were losing control. Feeding off each other in the 

most destructive way. 

Her Aunt Allison grabbed Klaus’ shoulder- she had tears streaming down her face and she was glancing between the two of them. “I heard a rumor ~ I heard a rumor ~ That—”

She didn’t have a chance to finish her sentence before the ground crumbled around them. A second later Daisy was falling away, she screamed but before she could be buried in the dirt she plunged through another time vortex.

She landed with a painful tumble onto hard wood floors. She was in a hallway and the walls and floorboards were shifting and creaking dangerously. Anything not bolted to the floor was swirling around in a wind tunnel.

She could hear Harold Jenkins begging for his life – his words falling on deaf ears. Daisy ran past them; her aunt Vanya’s eyes were white so she certainly wouldn’t notice anything happening around her now.

Daisy’s 8-year-old self and 13-year-old Theo were tied to chairs, their eyes were squeezed shut from the wind bombarding their faces and throwing items around. Daisy grabbed onto the back of the chair and bowed her head – she evened out her breathing, letting the world slow down.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Daisy’s hands pulsated with blue energy and her eyes went white. She struggled to focus against her aunt Vanya’s vortex.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Just like Mom taught you.

The ghosts came, unaffected by the happenings in the world they began to surround them. Their variously mutilated forms shuffled through the chaos and at Daisy’s bidding began to surround the three. As the final explosion went off, they were fully corporeal, they held firm to what they were commanded to do, and it wasn’t until the debris settled that Daisy collapsed with a groan that they disappeared again.

They were pinned down but unharmed – Daisy felt the need to do something to comfort the children in front of her, but she resisted. She let go of the chairs and started the painful process of escaping the hole – moving the opposite direction of the voices from her family. She phased in and out of beams and rubble. By the time she emerged on the other side she was fully shaking and trembling from the unpleasantness of using that aspect of her power.

Daisy tumbled to the grass and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of reunion and relief happening in the crater.

She let out a sigh as she heard a soft “I’m sorry…” from Theo.

**********************************************************************************************

“Ben? You’re -- No, no - I’m so--” Klaus’ head snapped up to look into the face of his child. It was definitely him. He had the same eyes, of course Klaus would recognize him anywhere but he wasn’t the 2 year old baby anymore- he was a full grown man. 

Klaus’ mind was floundering trying to remember and put together the pieces but he felt like he was under a weighted blanket. The adrenaline pumped inside of his veins but it only succeeded in causing him to tremble and hyperventilate. 

Ben stumbled backwards. He rubbed his face vigorously and shook his head. “Shit!”

“I don’t… What is.. What’s happening?” Klaus stumbled through his thoughts. 

His voice must have cut through Ben’s crisis because he slapped his own face and mumbled something then was kneeling down a moment later. Klaus could smell the alcohol on his breath. He placed a hand on Klaus’ shoulder. 

“Hey - Man, I don’t know what’s happenin’. Um- But it’s gonna be okay! We’re gonna-- I’m going to get you someplace safe, okay? Here, take this. You’re freezing.” Ben pulled off his own coat and pulled it sweetly around Klaus’ bare shoulders. 

He helped Klaus get to his feet. They fumbled and wavered dangerously but eventually he was leaning against his son’s arm, clinging on to him pathetically in an attempt to remain standing. Ben was several inches taller than him now… Klaus _Hated_ that…

Ben talked to him the entire time; Even as they got into a taxi, Ben was cycling through comforting phrases. 

“We’re going to figure this out.”

“You’re safe.”

“You’re going to be okay.”

Klaus must have looked truly piteous the way Ben was coddling him and reassuring him. But this wasn’t how it was supposed to work- Klaus was supposed to be the one helping his children, when had it switched? Where was Dave? Had Ben lived his entire life without his parents?

Klaus Hargreeves; The man who abandoned his children only to show up years later high and out of his mind. It was how everyone knew this would play out. But he couldn’t stand the thought. 

The taxi rolled to a stop and Ben handed the driver cash. He got out and jogged to the other side of the car to help pull Klaus back onto his feet. Klaus’ knees nearly bucked beneath him but Ben pulled an arm around his shoulders and started walking him up a pleasant path to a nice house. 

“Almost there, Ma - Jus’ hold on, okay?” 

Ben rang the doorbell 5 times. 

“Where are we…?”

Ben rubbed his arm, “You’ll see.” He rang the bell three more times. 

They heard footsteps coming from the other side. A pause. Then the door opened. Someone Klaus didn’t recognize opened the door tiredly. They were in a blue robe with white flowers and their dark hair was falling around their shoulders in neat braids. They had a kind but weathered face which reminded Klaus of the farmers Frank would invite over for dinner sometimes . 

They spoke in a heavy Texas accent, a sweet sound marred by frustration and concern “Oh, Benny - We’ve told you a million times, Ya’ gotta stop doin’ this.”

“Hey, Sam - Look this isn’t--”

He couldn’t finish before the stranger’s eyes fully swept through the whole scene “Klaus? Oh my god, what the hell happened?”

They reached out a hand towards his face and he flinched away. Their arm fell and they looked towards Ben. 

“I found em’ like this - He needs help - I don’t think he’s our mom.” Ben’s face scrunched up in concentration “I mean- He’s our mom but just not the same one… I think..”

Sam opened the door wider, “C’mon- Bring him inside.” 

Ben let him into the house - he heard the door being locked several times behind them then Sam was moving forward into a living area. They clicked on a lamp and padded away quickly. 

Klaus was moved to a large pillowy couch, he fell into the cushions and curled into himself. FInally, it was warm and soft and so comfortable - but he was reeling and out of control. Ben plopped down on another couch and covered his face with a throw pillow. 

Klaus could hear voices coming from the next room. 

“I’m going to kill him…” Came a sleepy voice first.

“Theo, get up - Somethin’s wrong -”

“What?”

“Your mom’s hurt- I don’t know what kind of time things happened but he looks about 20 years younger. Ben’s here - drunk as a skunk - he must have found him or something.”

“Shit!” 

There was a lot of shuffling movement then a moment later Klaus watched as his oldest son came into the room - No longer a 13 year old boy - he was a full grown man with some facial hair and shoulder length black hair. 

Theo’s eyes scanned the room; he pulled the pillow from Ben’s face “What happened?”

Sam followed him into the room “I’ll get a blanket into the dryer- he looks like he’s about to freeze to death.” 

Ben groaned “I don’t know- I saw these assholes roughing someone up-- He’s pretty out of it.” he grabbed the pillow back and placed it back over his face. 

Klaus whined. A second later Theo was in front of him, his son placed a hand on his forehead and pushed his hair away. 

When he spoke, his voice was soft and calculated, “Hey, mom - Are you with us?”

Klaus paused for a moment but then nodded his head. 

“Good. Do you remember what happened?”

“I- Your father and I were walking… They - Someone shot me up then-” Klaus grumbled, things were coming back to him in bits and pieces through the fog but it was hard forming a full sentence “We were at the commission.. They kept. Pills. I didn’t want to but they wouldn’t stop and… Then I was here… Theo, I’m so sorry…” 

He covered his mouth and tried to look away but Theo pulled his hand away and squeezed it. His head tilted curiously, “What are you sorry about, mom?”

Klaus sniffled, “I’m sorry - I- I left you. I promised I would always protect you but- I abandoned you…”

Theo gave a reassuring smile, “Mom, I don’t know what is happening but I promise you didn’t leave us. We grew up with two loving parents. Things are obviously a little messed up but we’re going to figure out how to get you home, okay?”

Klaus nodded. 

Sam came back into the room, they draped a warmed blanket over Klaus’ body. The added warmth felt like heaven and he sighed involuntarily. “Thank you..” He mumbled. 

Theo glanced back, “Thank’s, love.”

They crossed their arms and stood back, “Did those men hurt you, Klaus?” Sam’s voice was tight and blunt. 

Klaus pulled the blanket tighter around himself, “I’ve had worse…”

“Get some rest, whatever they gave you will get out of your system eventually.” Theo stood up and faced Sam as Klaus closed his eyes. 

“Ben, where did you find him?”

“Does it matter?”

“It might; Pops could still be out there.”

There was a long pause. 

“It was around 27th St…”

Sam started to walk away, “I’ll get a squad car over there searching - If your pop shows up we’ll find him.”

“What the hell were you doing in that area? Do you know how many bodies I’ve scraped off the pavement over there?”

Ben groaned loudly, “There it is.” he stated dryly. 

Klaus drifted to sleep. 

**********************************************************************************************

Dave didn’t mean to let go but when Daisy pushed him away his hold on Klaus’ hand slipped and suddenly the spinning was more intense. His husband and his daughter disappeared and a moment later he was falling. 

His body hit a thin icy surface and he plunged into frigid waters. His entire body tensed and he felt his heart rate speed up - despite his attempts to slow down the cold water shock. He gasped, freezing cold water flooded his senses and he desperately began to swim back to the surface. 

He emerged, coughed and hacked up the water he inhaled on the way down - he was around 50 feet away from the bank.

“Klaus!?” His head twisted around trying to see where his husband was but couldn’t see anybody else. Despite the quick and severe numbing that was taking over his limbs he dove back into the water. He searched for as long as he could but he couldn’t find Klaus. 

After an agonizing swim through ice he clawed his way onto the muddy banks. 

Dave rolled over away from the water, he was trembling violently and the world was spinning around him painfully. 

“Sir, are you okay?”

He couldn’t answer - he was reeling from the whole situation and he was pretty sure that he was going into shock. 

There were a few people beginning to circle him. It looked like it was maybe early morning; The sun was low in the sky and most passersby were holding cups of coffee. 

He heard someone on the phone calling for an ambulance before he blacked out. 

***************************************************************************************************

Klaus shot up with a start, the blanket that had been so lovingly placed on his shoulders was thrown off onto the floor. His head whipped around, he was more aware of his surroundings and although he still felt foggy the memories were flooding back to him. 

The sudden movement sent a severe ache through his body and his head. He moaned and grabbed onto his face, falling back down to the pillows. 

“Hey, you’re good, you’re fine!” Theo came up and put the blanket back over his shoulders. “Just breathe.”

Klaus obeyed, he pulled his hands away and glanced around. The house was cute, it was spacious with a very ‘country’ aesthetic. From where he was laying on the couch he could see Sam drinking coffee in the kitchen and he could hear unpleasant retching coming from another room. 

Theo remained in front of him, watching him closely. 

Klaus blinked, “Is he okay?” He asked, referring to Ben in the next room throwing up his lungs. 

Theo flashed an amused smile, “Who, Ben? I mean, he’s not your best work but he’ll be fine.” 

Klaus slowly sat up, gripping the blanket tightly around his shoulders. Theo dutifully helped him get more comfortable. 

“They drugged me, Theo.” He whined. 

Theo moved to sit on the couch next to him, “Yeah, pretty badly too. You should take it easy for a while. I get that this is all… A lot - But you’re safe here until we figure out what’s going on.”

“What about Dave- Your father?”

“Sam’s a detective - they’ve got people out in the city looking for him. Daisy too. She’ll be able to fix everything.” He gestured to the person in the kitchen “This is Sam, by the way. They’re my partner.”

Klaus nodded in their direction, “Pleasure to meet you.” He said dully. 

“Ditto - How ‘bout I whip you up a cup of coffee then we can get you into some new clothes?” 

“That sounds heavenly…”

Klaus looked over as Ben all but crawled back into the room, he dragged himself back to his couch and slouched over. He used a small blanket to cover his face and pressed a pillow into his stomach and curled around it. He groaned. 

Theo watched his brother with a deadpan expression on his face, “Well, don’t you look like a million bucks. You smell like it too.”

“Fuck off.” He mumbled into the fabric, then he added in a friendlier tone “How are you doing, mom?”

Theo must have clocked the slightly horrified expression that was dawning on Klaus’ face because he cut it before he had a chance to answer, “He’s fine, mom - Sometimes he just parties a little too much - He’s 20, afterall. It’s not like- A habit or anything.”

Klaus thought through the math in his head for a moment “He’s 20… That means that you’re--”

“Old as hell.” Ben interjected. 

Theo grabbed a throw pillow and threw it at his brother. “31. Daisy’s 26.” 

Klaus put his face in his hands. He looked up a few minutes later as a new sound interrupted his thoughts. Sam had walked back into the room, they had a baby on their hip. The little one was fussing and crying. 

“Little help, Theo? She wants you.”

Klaus’ jaw fell open. 

They deposited the baby into Theo’s lap. He bounced her gently and shushed her. She looked around and her little hands reached for Klaus. 

Theo laughed, “She doesn’t want me - She wants Grandma.”

Klaus sat back. 

“Excuse me? What the _hell_ did you just call me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that you enjoyed it! Comments are always appreciated!


	20. Honeymoon (3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot going on as the universe conspires against Klaus and Dave but maybe they can squeeze in a little honeymoon time despite all that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I feel like this story is expanded a lot more than I had intended - I'm hoping for just two or three more chapters in this arch but who knows! Anyway, I hope that you enjoy it! You guys are the best!

Julien Taylor (AKA The Bunnyman) stood tall a few feet back from the impressive desk - illuminated by an overhanging light. He was stoic - actively attempting to hide any signs of the anxiety and agitation that were flowing through his veins. He was used to dangerous men but his most recent client put him on edge. He twisted a knife between his fingers. 

“I see you’ve arrived empty handed. Again.” Reginald Hargreeves looked up from his notebook. His face showed little expression. Julien imagined a hint of disappointment in his tone but was hard to tell. 

Julien remained silent. 

“I go through all the trouble of maintaining the dimensional rift left by my assailant and you can’t even manage a simple retrieval, so what am I even paying you for?”

“My attempts to lure him in were a failure. He’s not alone - there are others. This… Family. They’re professional - they’re intelligent but there will be no more failure. Your ‘assailant’, Benjamin Katz will be in your possession by the end of the week.”

“I should hope so.”

***********************************************************************************************

“Okay, we get in, we get him, we get out. We’ve still got to find Daisy and get this fixed.” Theo shook his head “I still can’t believe that you two managed to break the universe.”

Ben followed closely behind his older brother as they marched through the parking lot and into the hospital waiting room. “It was an accident.”

“No, dinging my car would be an ‘accident’. You two tore holes through dimensional space time in my basement!”

They stopped just inside the door then spotted a hospital attendant, she was a stern looking woman with a sour expression on her face. The woman, Mary, watched them as they entered and gave a thin, obligatory smile when they approached the counter. 

Theo went first, leaving Ben to stand behind him a couple of feet, “Hi, my name is Theodore Katz. I believe that my father, David Katz, was brought here this morning? He may be a John Doe, I’m not sure. Either way, we’d really like to see him.”

She didn’t say anything, only glanced at her hidden computer screen and clicked away at the mouse a few times. A moment later she looked back up at the men, “He is set to be discharged within the next few hours but is not accepting any visitors, I’m afraid.”

“Not accept-- We’re his sons - We’re worried about him and we’d just like to see him. What was he brought in for? Did he have to go through surgery?”

“I’m afraid I can’t disclose anything that violates patient confidentiality.” Her expression had not changed throughout the conversation and it was a little unnerving to observe. 

“We’re. His. Sons. Look, I understand - we don’t look like him but I have an ID, I can prove it--” He pulled out his wallet and placed a drivers license on the counter. 

She glanced over it and typed something on the computer then her eyes turned back to the men, “Unfortunately, he didn’t list any family members or allow us to give anyone his medical information.” She said, almost robotically. 

Theo sighed, “He was unconscious!”

Ben grabbed his brother’s arm and turned him around to whisper in his ear, “Calm down, Karen. You’re going to get us kicked out.”

Theo threw up his hands, “Okay, fine - You give it a shot, Casanova.”

Ben spun around and leaned against the counter, he flashed a charming smile. The woman’s expression didn’t change. 

“Hi, Ben Katz, nice to meet you. You’ll have to forgive my brother, he has a medical condition where if he isn’t in control of literally everything, all the time, his head will explode. It’s very sad, really--”

Theo shoved him out of the way, “Hi, Theo Katz again, do you have a children’s area I could put him? Preferably with toddler toys - He needs to be around people his own mental age.”

Ben tried to shove Theo but he resisted and they just ended up struggling in front of Mary who continued to don a bored frown. They devolved into a childlike slapping fight. 

“Boys.”

They turned towards the door to find Dave standing in the middle of the waiting area, looking rough but otherwise stable. He smiled tiredly, his eyebrow quirked in amusement. 

“Pops!” They said in unison and ran up to him. Despite the strange situation, Dave still embraced them both comfortably. 

“We were about to break you outta here.”

Dave laughed, “I can see that. Sorry for interrupting your delicate plans but I learned how to escape from doctors from the best.” His face fell slightly, “Speaking of-- Have you found your mom? I lost him in the vortex.”

“Yeah, we got him. He’s at my house - He’s okay.”

Dave closed his eyes and exhaled. He nodded, “That makes me feel a lot better. Your house, huh? I’ll have to get used to that.” He looked around, “Guess, there’s a lot of things I’ll have to get used to.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you back where you belong soon enough and you can experience everything in real time. Let’s get out of here - Mom’s worried about you.”

************************************************************************************

After leading him to an upstairs bedroom, Sam was gracious enough to show him a closet with some extra clothes. They were polite and gentle in a way that betrayed their weathered eyes. Klaus took an immediate liking to them despite his previous suspicions. 

"Now, you change into something more comfortable and when you're done, give me that dress and I'll make sure it's good as new in no time." They grinned and closed the door behind them, leaving Klaus alone in the strange room. 

Like everything in the house, this guest bedroom was pleasantly decorated with a cozy country aesthetic. Light brown walls and a bed with a green comforter piled high with decorative pillows that sported forest and animal scenes embroidered into the fabric. Klaus wondered if this was Theo's style or if most of the decor in the house was done by Sam. Either was possible; Sam certainly had the deep Texas vibe about them but in a less obvious way so did Theo. Klaus noticed that Theo still had somewhat of a Texas accent, at least compared to Ben who sounded like the rest of the Hargreeves family. 

Klaus jumped as he turned around and came face to face with a full bodied mirror. It was strange, he knew he was about to hit the most difficult part of being back on drugs - the come down where he couldn't push the spirits away but he could see them and hear them - however, this house was devoid of any roaming ghosts. He could hear and see ghosts outside in the yard but it was empty in this house. He certainly wasn't complaining. 

Klaus pulled the dress off with a grimace, it was such a lovely piece that was now marred with dirt, drool, and sweat. He really doubted that Sam would be able to save it but he would give it to them, nonetheless. Dread pooled in his stomach as he began the unfortunately familiar process of checking his body over for marks that he couldn't account for the origins of. He pressed down against his ribs and hips, checking for lingering pains. 

Thankfully, he found that all of his injuries were accounted for; a messed up face, road rash on his hands, bruises on his arms... All in all, not anything that would send him into a panic. 

He rummaged through the closet and found, to his surprise, a lot of clothes he really liked? They fit him beautifully and he adored the style - he wondered why they even had all these extra outfits in this room but he was WAY past asking questions at this point. 

He threw on a pair of stretchy, high waisted pants with a myriad of interesting designs sewn into the sides and an oversized sweater with a random assortment of colors that melded into a tainted pink hue. It was comfy and warm- he looked outside and an expression of worry fell over his features as he saw the cold creeping up the window and snow flurries drifting through the air. 

Klaus pulled the sweater down over his hands and sat down on the edge of the bed with a pout. 

There was a knock at the door and despite it's cautious nature Klaus still jumped a little as he was snapped out of his own thoughts. 

"Klaus?"

He jumped up and wrenched the door open, "Jesus Christ --" He whined, eyes already beginning to water. 

"Nope, just me, Dave."

He barreled into Klaus, pressing his face into the crook of his husband's neck and wrapping his arms around him. Klaus gripped onto him like his life depended on it and they moved to the bed- holding on in a tangle of arms and legs as they fell into the blanket top bed. 

It was a few minutes later that Dave sat back and put a wandering hand on Klaus' face- his thumb moving gently against the bruises around his jaw line. "I'm so happy you're okay..."

"When did you get here?"

"To the house? Just a few minutes ago- From the time jump? I'm not completely sure? I ended up 6 feet deep in a frozen pond- Luckily there were people around.. I thought--" He swallowed, "I couldn't tell if you fell with me and I couldn't find you in the water... If I had left you to sink I would have never--"

Klaus interrupted him with a kiss, "I'm right here, Superman - I was rescued by my two year old who is now a 20 year old man... So, you know, I'm going through some stuff but other than that I'm fine."

Dave laughed, "Shits crazy, right?"

Klaus nodded, "Look, I just wanted to get laid- I didn't sign up for this--" He gestured to the room around them "Shit. I would have been fine waiting for it all to happen naturally."

"Yeah, no kidding. My baby girl pulled our asses out of prison in a full on rescue mission and then time traveled away - I didn't even believe it when it was happening..."

Klaus' face dropped, "That was Daisy?"

"Yeah." Dave's voice was low, "I don't even know if she had anybody else with her but she saved us... In a building with an army of commission agents."

"Did she tell you what was going on?"

Dave grimaced, "I mean, maybe? It's Daisy, she was saying things and I was trying to keep up but-- I'm not sure..." He paused, "That person downstairs-- are they?"

"Theo's partner? Oh yeah, they got married in 2031. And you haven't even heard the best part, grandpa."

Dave's eyes went wide, "No--"

Klaus laughed, "Oh yeah. Her name is Ruth. They call her 'Baby Roo'. As you can imagine, she's perfect in every way and I've already promised her everything in our bank account. "

Dave laid back on the bed and covered his face with his hands, he groaned, "We're too young for this shit-- I know I'm always saying we're too old but I take it all back."

Klaus copied him, leaning back, finally feeling like he could breath. He held onto his husband's hand and pulled it to his chest. Dave rolled to his side and settled his head against Klaus' shoulder. They fell into a heavy silence for several moments. 

"How are you feeling?"

Klaus stared up at the ceiling, eyes flicking back and forth through the rungs of a fan spinning above them, "I'm okay."

"That means you're not okay, what's going on?"

"My stupid powers-- they're going to be a real pain in the ass really soon as that shit they put into me wears off." He lifted his free hand towards the ceiling and spread his fingers. He concentrated but the only thing that happened was a pathetic sparkle of blue flashed above his fingertips.

He dropped his arm and sighed, "14 fucking years - down the toilet..."

"That's not how it works, angel - If it becomes a problem, we'll figure it out. Like we did in the beginning. If your powers take too long to come back and the ghosts start hurting you we'll keep all the lights on, I'll stay up with you and even if you have to keep headphones on for a few weeks we can work with that."

Dave set up on his elbow so that he could face Klaus, "If the cravings start becoming an issue then we'll work through that too. Even if I need to hold onto the money again or if we need to just get the hell out of the city. You're not alone. I will be there to keep you accountable so don't worry about that. Let's just focus on getting you back to full strength again. Okay?"

Klaus closed his eyes and nodded, a tear fell down from the corner of his eye and onto the bed. "Yeah, okay." 

He was about to say something else when they heard raised voices downstairs. 

“Mom, you’ve got to give me more than a 2 minute warning - now is _really _not a good time--”__

__A door shut. Theo groaned._ _

__“Seriously, mom.”_ _

__Klaus and Dave sat up and stared at the door._ _

__“I know, I know, I know -” There were quick footsteps that marched up the stairs then the door to their room opened. “I will be out of here in 1 minute tops, I promise.”_ _

__Klaus Hargreeves came into their room. He looked older; his long hair was showing greyed roots, he had more lines around his mouth and eyes, and his hands shook even as he waved them around. Despite these signs of aging he still maintained a vibrant and youthful energy - he strolled inside and his bright green eyes scanned the area landing on the open closet._ _

__He ignored (young) Klaus and Dave and took a few long steps and ripped open the closet door. Theo was right behind him, his fingers were pinching the bridge of his nose - He leaned defeatedly against the doorframe._ _

__“I could have grabbed anything you wanted and brought it down to you.”_ _

__(Older) Klaus waved a hand dismissively as he rummaged through the hangars “Oh, don’t fret- This is faster - Ah hah! There it is!” He pulled down a shirt- an obnoxious hawaian number with pink and orange designs. “I knew it was here…”_ _

__He looked up at Theo, “Your father and I are going on vacation!” He gave a celebratory clap “You were absolutely right, teddy bear - we just need to get away for a little bit. All the work and the city and the blah blah blah. And! You’ve got your hands full, I know - “ He made direct eye contact with (Young) Klaus and winked._ _

__“So we’ll be out of your hair for the next week or so--” He moved past Theo and out of the room, they could hear him talking down the stairs, “Oh, and don’t worry about the farm we’ve hired Anita to watch everything… Diego and Lila have been saying she needs to get a job for a while now…”_ _

__Theo crossed his arms and listened as he made it to the front door, “We’ll bring back plenty for Baby Roo so you might want to clear out some of her closet - love you, Theo!”_ _

__“Be safe, mom!” He called after him just as the front door shut._ _

__After a few moments Klaus spoke up, “Well, I understand why all the clothes fit me now.”_ _

__Theo remained in the doorway._ _

__Dave looked up at his son, “So that’s good, we’re still alive...”_ _

__Klaus nodded in agreement. “Seems like we are doing pretty good too. I mean, think I looked pretty damn good…”_ _

__Theo huffed and smiled, his arms falling to his sides “Yeah… You’ve aged gracefully into the old queen you were always meant to be.”_ _

__“And what about me?” Dave asked cautiously._ _

__Theo thought about it for a moment, “You’ve aged gracefully into the old man who obsesses over his garden and yells at squirrels in his birdfeeders.”_ _

__Klaus leaned into his husband’s shoulder and bumped him fondly, “Aww, that’s adorable.”_ _

__Theo rolled his eyes and pushed away from the doorframe, “Well, now that _that_ happened, I’m going to go make some lunch. Still no word from Daisy but--” He paused and glanced down the stairs “She’ll be okay-” He flashed a reassuring smile at his fathers. _ _

__“Does Daisy live with you?” Klaus asked unprompted._ _

__“Yeah, she’s got the whole basement. It’s a pretty good deal. I mean, I’m pretty sure I’m on some sort of watchlist now but she does help out with chores and helps with bills - “ He waved a hand, “Plus, it’s nice not having to worry about her getting caught or kicked out because of her… Experiments…” He took a couple steps into the hall “Lunch’ll be ready in a few.”_ _

__Klaus put his hands together and gave Dave a sideways glance, “That’s so sweet! My babies are taking care of each other!”_ _

__Dave laughed, “I just hope Daisy shows up soon - We uh -”_ _

__“The rest of us are hopeless?” Klaus offered._ _

__“Yeah, pretty much.”_ _

__*****************************************************************************************************_ _

__It was late evening and after no word from Daisy, Theo had decided to just go into work as usual - Their lives were already a clusterfuck of events and crisis so he had learned pretty early on that maintaining some semblance of a routine helped clear his head. He stood at a white counter and shuffled and carefully organized bags of evidence from his most recent crime scene. A folder with photos was splayed out behind him - a pretty brutal murder of some poor girl found on the street._ _

__Theo was able to have a quick conversation with her before he led her to ‘the light’. She didn’t have many details - a white male probably but she didn’t get a good look at him and she noticed that he had been following her for several blocks before catching up to her and hitting her with a crowbar._ _

__Her name was Anna Lewins, she was a runaway after her family threatened to put her in rehab for a drug addiction. The killer had taken all forms of ID from her pockets and stolen her purse so Theo was glad he would be able to connect this Jane Doe with a family. She had also currently been working with his mom to get better - she hadn’t told him that but Klaus had shown up the next morning - anguished that someone had killed one of his clients. Theo begged him not to get involved._ _

__Theo had an interesting advantage being able to commune with the dead in his line of work but he figured out quickly that first hand testimony from a ghost doesn’t hold up in a court of law. Theo had to work just as hard as the other investigators - he just had a little more context at times._ _

__He had been having a difficult time focusing this evening but just as he found a rhythm and let himself concentrate on the bloody puzzle in front of him the unmistakable sound of feet slapping the tile floors raced towards him. He looked up just in time to see Daisy sprinting towards him; She bolted through the door with wild eyes._ _

__Look. Nothing really surprised him anymore but the fact that she had an armful of gasping fish with an exotic and poisonous appearance did somehow draw his thoughts away from the obvious shitstorm that he had been preoccupied with the past day and a half._ _

__She turned around the room, “Bucket?! Jar? I need water!”_ _

__He leaned down and pulled a forensic bucket from underneath a cabinet- he put it under the sink faucet at the other side of the room. She followed him and dumped the specimens into the bucket._ _

__He turned to her, “You know - it’s worrying that this isn’t the weirdest thing that’s happened to me in the last 48 hours.”_ _

__She laughed and launched herself at him - grabbing him in a neck breaking hug. He hugged her back, he cringed and sniffed the air before pulling back and coughing “Jesus, Dais’ have you been swimming in chum?”_ _

__She nodded with a grin, “Yeah! I’ve been in an alternate dimension where humans evolved from aquatic DNA! It was nuts! I wish you had been there! There was a civil war and these kings and I almost got harpooned and--” She was speaking so fast that even Theo was taken aback._ _

__“These aren’t the kings, are they?” Theo gestured to the four fish meandering around in the tap water._ _

__“They’re my pets! This is Cousteau, Rachel Carson, Eugenie Clark…” She pointed them out one by one “And Nemo!”_ _

__“But they aren’t sentient, right? You didn’t kidnap anybody?” Theo had learned to ask the important questions._ _

__“What is even sentience in the context between varying lifeforms?”_ _

__“I’m gonna take that as a ‘no’.”_ _

__She grabbed his face, “Theo! I’ve figured it out!” She shook him excitedly._ _

__“I hope you’re talking about the fact that I’ve got two sets of parents now - and apparently the universe is just broken.”_ _

__“Yes!” She let go and spun around, “Theo- We’re responsible for the circumstances of our own timeline - The weakness comes from the fact that our timeline isn’t capable of existing without predetermined involvement that ensures a stable loop. The stability of the pocket dimension that Pops created accidentally is equivalent to a pile of hay set on fire holding up a barn under the pressure of entropy with a set termination.” She threw her hands up “POOF! It was never sustainable!”_ _

__Theo stared at her, “The fuck does that mean?”_ _

__She grabbed his arms, “Theo, we were never that lucky - I just watched you die when you were 13 years old - when Aunt Vanya almost killed us, I-” She pointed a passionate thumb to her own chest “Was the reason we survived. The reason we’re here talking about this is because in the future we’ve already ensured that we survive to get to this point and repeat the process.”_ _

__Theo groaned and rubbed his face, “Okay - First of all, that’s insane and second of all, that implies that us surviving to this point was curated by _someone_. Which means that--”_ _

__“Means that someone had to go through countless trial and error scenarios until they figured out a sequence of events that would merge our dimension into another timeline stable enough to sustain itself.”_ _

__“Then what the hell does Mom and Pops from 2019 have to do with anything.”_ _

__Daisy shrugged, “I don’t know - the good news is that theoretically our decisions from now on should guide us naturally into a favourable outcome. That doesn’t mean it will be easy or guarantee that the situation will be positive but it’s something at least.” She smiled reassuringly, a gesture that was lost on her big brother who was now sliding to the floor._ _

__“Okay, I’ll bite - What do we do now?”_ _

__“I need to identify the pivotal time markers and events within our timeline. Identify them and then we can coordinate to make sure that they happen exactly as they need to in order to guide the events towards our present.” She stared at the floor, “I think I need to call Margot.”_ _

__Theo’s eyes lit up, “Margot? Well then, I’ll tell Sam to put on some coffee.”_ _

__*******************************************************************************************_ _

__“This is so romantic- it’s almost easy to forget that we’re completely displaced in our timeline.” Klaus was laying with his head in his husband’s lap. Dave was absently tugging his fingers through the dark curls and staring out into the twinkling lights of the city._ _

__They were perched on a flattened presepace that extended from their second story window - after no word from Theo or Daisy they had decided that they would attempt a date night despite the circumstances. However, Klaus was hesitant to be around the ghosts that he could no longer defend himself against so they settled on this spot._ _

__The view of the city was spectacular against the snowy horizon. They were bundled up in coats under blankets - it was a complete 180 from the sensual warm summer honeymoon they had planned on but it was cozy and they were thankful to be together again._ _

__“Yeah… I mean, we’re pretty lucky - our kids are basically handling everything. There’s not much we can do.”_ _

__Klaus hummed and pointed out towards the west, “I think Ben said we’re living over there about 30 minutes outside of the city. Hm, or something like that.”_ _

__“We haven’t even talked about house hunting yet. We were going to wait until after the honeymoon but I’d like somewhere away from town.”_ _

__Klaus shifted to his back and pulled up the blanket they had dragged outside, “Four bedroom, two bath. I want a really big tub… Something I can really soak my bones in, you know? A nice big dining room.. So we can expand. And a big yard. With a pool, yeah - a pool and somewhere to sunbathe on concrete. No more trying to get a tan and ending up with hay fever.” He mused dreamily._ _

__Dave huffed, “With a list of criteria like that, how about I just build you a house? Save a realtor the trouble.”_ _

__Klaus blinked up at him, “Did you just say ‘Build me a house’?”_ _

__“Yeah, I mean, we could go for a property and we could design it ourselves.” Then he added shyly, “It’s kind of a dream of mine to build my own home - I could build it however you wanted it.”_ _

__Klaus raised a hand to his husband’s jaw, “David-” He spoke in a deathly serious voice, “That might be the sexiest thing you’ve ever said to me.”_ _

__Dave laughed._ _

__“I’m serious, I think I just came in my pants.” He giggled and stared adoringly up at his partner._ _

__They were interrupted by a car pulling up the driveway. Klaus sat up on his elbow and they watched as two figures got out, one of them was holding a bucket._ _

__“Oh -” Klaus sighed in relief, “Dave, it’s Daisy!” He rolled up on his knees “My little girl!”_ _

__He stood up excitedly, still wearing the large blanket like a cloak and waved enthusiastically to the pair walking up the sidewalk, “Daisy!”_ _

__“Klaus, be careful, it’s slick--”_ _

__“Daisy! OOF!” Too late, he slipped and tumbled down into the puffy fir trees that surrounded the house._ _

__Dave cringed but didn’t move from his comfortable spot next to the window. A few moments later there came an equally enthusiastic “I’m okay!” from the bushes below him. Klaus stumbled out of the branches and into the yard._ _

__“I’m fine!” He announced._ _

__Dave shook his head and watched with a fond expression of amusement “There he is… The man I married..” He mumbled under his breath._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! And your comments are always adored! 
> 
> P.S I wanted to add songs that are in my playlists for Theo, Ben, and Daisy so I thought I might add them one at a time :) 
> 
> Theo: Des'ree - You Gotta Be   
> Ben: Smash into Pieces Ft. Jay Smith - Boomerang   
> Daisy: Mother Mother - Infinitesimal


	21. Honeymoon (4) (Rewrite)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus finally gets to have a conversation with his son and also gets some much deserved revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This is a re write since I just hated the first version- This has a little bit of the original but I basically just trashed the plot so let me know if this works better! Thanks so much for being patient!

“Jesus Christ, mom…” The vague sense of defeat was prominent in Theo’s voice as Klaus tumbled off the roof and into the trees – he popped up a moment later victorious and jogged towards them.

Daisy cackled and shoved the bucket of fish into Theo’s arms before running to meet up with Klaus. They embraced and Klaus pulled the blanket he had been wearing around her in a warm cocoon – he kissed her head a few times and she laughed.

He outstretched his arms to look at her, “Look at you – oh my god…” He pulled her back into another hug. He sighed, “I want to hear about everything- but also – and I don’t want to make assumptions but I’m just going to assume that maybe it was you who poked all the breathing holes in our timeline?”

“Yeah, that was me.” She didn’t sound particularly apologetic about it “BUT! It wasn’t all my fault and I think I know how to fix it – We don’t even need to worry because you were always meant to show up here!”

They started meandering towards the house with Theo next to them.

“I love the positivity! It’s so comforting when everything’s fucked.” Klaus snorted.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes – Before I start though you HAVE to see my apartment! My basement. It’s a basement apartment. I don’t get to show it to that many people because of the time jump vortex initiator and my high voltage electromagnetic field stabilizer but I just bought a multicolored disco ball and I’m OBSESSED!”

He glanced at Theo and his son gave him a clear look that said _“Yup, still Daisy”_. He grinned and squished her into his side “I’d love to – And I have all the time in the world because my daughter is a timelord- queen of time! I love it!”

Daisy grinned, she was practically vibrating with excitement and when Dave came out the front door to meet them she ran forward into his arms “Pops!” 

Klaus bumped into Theo, “Good to know not everything has changed..”

Theo laughed playfully, “Don’t worry, I’m the only one this household that has aged past twelve, trust me. And that includes you.” 

Klaus pushed him away in mock offense then threw the blanket over him and hugged him, “Hey, watch your mouth- Young man - I raised you!” He used his pointer finger to boop his son on the nose. 

They caught up to Dave and Daisy at the front door and they happily came in from the cold, Daisy turned towards them and continued to walk backwards, “I have got so much to show you! And so much to work on! Once I figure out the critical points then all we have to do is go through the timeline and ensure that it happens exactly as it was supposed to happen in order to maintain the loop!”

“Before you start doing that--” Theo grabbed a cell phone and handed it to Daisy, “10 missed phone calls from Claire - call and let her know you’re in one piece.”

Daisy looked at the device for a moment and her face fell, “Shiiiit… I was supposed to meet her for lunch. Dang it, I forgot…”

“I’m sure she’ll understand- just make sure to call her first.”

In a gesture a lot less enthusiastic she took the phone and walked to the basement door and disappeared into the darkness. 

They followed Theo into the kitchen and seated themselves at the barstools that lined the counter, “How is Claire doing?” Then Klaus looked at Dave in confusion, “Are we allowed to ask those questions?”

Theo poured himself a glass of water and offered some to them; They declined. “I mean, who really cares anymore, you’ve already seen yourself and found out what happens to us.”

“Playing fast and loose with time, it’s the Katz way!” Klaus held up both hands in a cheering sign, “So, give us the tea- How is everyone doing?”

Theo thought about it for a few moments, “I mean, Claire’s good. She’s a political science major at Harvard so.. Let’s see… Uncle Diego and his wife, Lila, live closest to us - still fighting crime and causing trouble.” He took a sip of water. 

“Aw! Is she batshit crazy?” Klaus asked hopefully. 

“Oh for sure, she’s perfect for him. They have a kid, Anita, she’s a teenager. Uncle Luther is just traveling the world, he pops in here and there. Aunt Allison, she’s married to this really cool professor named Raymond and she still works in the public eye. Aunt Vanya is in Texas with her wife Sissy--”

Klaus put a finger up, “--Fuckin’ knew it--” 

“They’re great, she’s got a son Harlan and a daughter Hayley. Uncle Five… I have no idea most of the time but sometimes he works with Daisy when they aren’t screaming theories at each other. I think that’s about everyone..”

“What about your uncle Ben?” Dave chimed in. 

“Oh he’s still here, he mostly follows you around still - especially now since I’m assuming you guys are a beach somewhere.” Theo’s eyes gazed past them and he smiled, “Hey, love.”

Sam came in from behind them and joined Theo on the other side of the kitchen Island, “You boys messing up the timeline?”

Theo kissed their cheek and pulled an arm around them, “Always.”

“And what about you two? How did you two meet?” Dave asked curiously. 

Sam chuckled, “Oh, that’s a long story--” They put a finger up “And one you’ll find out soon enough.” 

Theo looked between Sam and his parents, “Hey, I know Daisy wants to show you a bunch of things but I think it’s best if we get some sleep - “ His voice lowered, “She can get a little carried away and it messes with her head so I’m going to try to get to her to give it up for the night.”

Everyone nodded in agreement and began to vacate the kitchen. Klaus turned around before he started up the stairs, “Where’s your brother?”

Theo paused at the basement door, “Uh - Don’t know, he’s probably at his place for the night.” He smiled and waved at them, “Night Mom, night Pops.” and disappeared into the basement. 

Sam seemed like they wanted to say something else but decided against it, “Get some sleep, ya’ll. I have a feeling it’s goin’ to be a wild few days - It always is when Daisy’s involved.”

Dave placed a hand on Klaus’ back and they walked upstairs to their bedroom. 

******************************************************************************

Klaus’ vision warbled just as he saw a boot stomping on his chest. He grunted as the air was pushed out of his lungs but before he could recover he was kicked in the stomach. Over and over until he could feel his ribs cracking. 

He attempted to roll away, only succeeding in receiving a boot striking his shoulder. The man, the man in the bunny mask loomed over him seemingly annoyed that he had managed to hitch a ride through time gripping onto his leg. 

Klaus really wanted to curl up, he wanted the pain to stop but he could hear Ben screaming in confusion and terror, desperately trying to pull away from the stranger that was carrying him. There was no way Dave would be able to find them - Klaus was alone with this maniac who wanted god knows what with his baby. 

He really missed being a coward. 

Klaus rolled back over just in time to get a kick to the face and reached his hand out, focusing all of his energy. The palm of his hand went straight through the bunny man’s ankle then with a tug he pulled it back; his hand resumed being corporeal just in time to rip a chunk out of the kidnapper’s leg and tendons. 

The bunnyman wailed in both pain and surprise, he dropped Ben and Klaus used his own body to cushion the two year old’s fall. He cradled his son to his chest and began to crawl away as their attacker collapsed. 

“I-it’s okay, precious - It’s okay- Shhh -- sshhh…” Klaus attempted to sooth the screaming child as he fumbled through an unfamiliar and dark area. He saw cover and he moved as quickly as he could towards it but just as he reached the underside of the cabinet a firm hand grabbed onto his leg. He pushed Ben away from him and let himself be dragged backwards. 

The bunnyman - now slowed down by the impressive chunk ripped out of his ankle - fell on top of Klaus and began to throw punches. Klaus threw his hands up and in a burst of energy the man was thrown straight up in the air. He was forced to scramble away to avoid being crushed by the kidnappers body as it fell back to the ground. 

He waited in anticipation, watching the man’s body rise and fall lazily on the ground. He just fell ten feet, he had to be unconscious, right? Then like some bad horror movie trope he grunted, he slammed his fist down on the floor and pulled himself painfully up to his knees. His mask was still on but Klaus could feel his glare through the holes in the rubber. 

“Come on! Are you fucking serious?” Klaus whined. 

The man pulled a small revolver from his boot and pointed it at the toddler who was now curled up underneath an open cabinet, “You better not fucking move.” He warned. 

Something inside of Klaus snapped and his eyes burned white - He lost consciousness as he surged forward and in a split second he possessed the man’s body. He stood up and hurled it violently through the back wall. Something inside the wall burst and it sounded like a gunshot. Klaus came to standing in the middle of the room covered in blood. He stalked to where the man who kidnapped his son was vomiting, his body halfway wedged through the crumbling wood. Pipes all around him were bursting and sending hot steam screaming into the air. 

Kaus didn’t know what happened, maybe a residual instinct from losing control of his powers but he came up behind the bunny man, he grabbed the back of his shirt and shoved him into the path of the steam. The bunnyman shrieked and struggled as half of the mask melted off along with the skin on the right side of his face. 

Klaus let go and finally the attacker collapsed and didn’t stir. He stumbled backwards and slumped into the cool tile floor. This must be what happens when moms lift cars off their babies is the thought that flittered into his mind as he pushed himself forward towards his son. 

Ben was screaming and sobbing and it was breaking his heart - he moved quickly to gather up his baby but as he reached out to touch him his hands hit something, like an invisible force field. He tried again with the same result. Ben was staring at him now, tears streaming down his face and he was reaching for his father in confusion. 

Klaus pressed against the barrier but when that didn’t work and as the panic began to over take him he started beating his fists against the force field. Pain was erupting through his hands and arms but he continued nonetheless. 

Ben opened his mouth and wailed more insistently. 

“I won’t leave you, baby- I’m right here-” Klaus sobbed. 

“Angel!”

With one last ditch effort Klaus slammed into the force field and he woke up with a violent start. His body was pressed against the headboard, his legs were kicked out behind him tangled in the sheets. 

“Ben!” He screamed - the moment he was just reliving and the present was blending together. He could still hear the crying and he couldn’t tell what was real anymore. 

“Angel. Angel, listen to me - Ben’s fine - It’s just Roo. They’ve got her, okay? Klaus? Can you hear me? Try to take a deep breath for me.”

Klaus inhaled a shuddering and painful breath, the act sent him into a coughing fit. He blinked and took in the surroundings, they were in the guest bedroom at Theo’s house. It all came back to him and once and he collapsed into the headboard - pain was shooting through his hands and he noted with alarm that there were fresh marks lining the wood. 

“Are you with me?”

He glanced around, his chest was still heaving and his head was spinning; Dave was on his knees on the side of the bed, his hands were balled up against his leg. 

Klaus nodded. 

He groaned, “Did I hurt you?” His voice was raw and dry. 

“No, I’m okay. But I think you hurt yourself. Can I take a look?” He reached out a hand cautiously. 

Klaus slid down and extended trembling hands, Dave took them and inspected them - There was blood underneath his fingernails which was still fresh and seeping slowly and bruising was already spreading against the pale skin of his knuckles. Dave got up and went to the bathroom, he came back with a damp rag and gently began to clean up the abrasions. 

He glanced up at Klaus, “That was pretty intense - you want to talk about it?”

“It was that stupid bunny guy - When he took Ben as a baby and I was back there fighting him… It was so realistic except that when I went to get Ben -” Klaus’s voice broke and he looked away , “I couldn’t reach him - it was like there was an invisible wall. He looked at me like I had abandoned him.”

Dave tossed the rag into the hamper, “Come here--” He opened his arms and Klaus fell into him, clinging to his shirt. 

“That really wasn’t that long ago - And with everything going on it’s no wonder you’re having nightmares about it.”

“Why won’t he leave us the hell alone?” Klaus asked through clenched teeth against his husband’s chest. 

“I don’t know - but I do know the worst is over with- we’re going to be back home to our normally aged children in no time.”

Klaus nodded, desperately clinging onto his words like his life depended on it. He stayed there like that until the position began to send trembles through his spine and he had to straighten up. He opened and closed his hands with a pained grimace, Dave watched him with concern. 

Klaus looked around the room; Dave had been considerate enough to turn on the lights which relieved a good amount of the confusion that he felt coming out of the nightmare. He swallowed, “Sound’s like Roo’s pretty fussy tonight..” He rolled over and stood up, stumbling slightly but quickly catching himself on the sidetable. 

“Where are you going?”

Klaus waved his GOOD BYE hand absently, “I need a walk - I don’t want to -” He didn’t finish but Dave understood well enough. 

“Yeah, I get it. I’ll leave the lights on.”

“Such a sweetheart!” Klaus called softly over his shoulder. 

*********************************************************

Klaus “walk” led him out of the house and into the city, which he knew that everyone in the house would be upset about which is why he decided against clarifying to Dave where he was going. He had passed by Sam on the way out, they were rocking the infant back and forth in the living room. 

Klaus couldn’t get over how intense they were, how even in the brief interactions they’ve had together how Sam stared at him like they could read his mind. He wondered how close he and Sam were in the future because despite their rough exterior they seemed to look at Klaus and Dave with a lot of affection. 

Klaus hadn’t said anything and he expected Sam to stop him but as he opened the front door they got his attention with a sharp and authoritative “Hey.”. He had cringed, really not wanting to argue but when he turned back all they did was toss him a set of keys, “The white truck outside’s mine. Take it.”

He gripped the keys, not sure what to say so he only said “Thanks, Sam.”

He wasn’t driving aimlessly around although that’s what he told himself that’s what he was doing but when he came across a familiar face sitting at the bench overlooking the bay he wasn’t surprised. Klaus parked the truck and got out. He had spent many nights on this bridge, the bench overlooked the best sights of the city and with the cold it was somehow even more stunning. 

“Must be family tradition. Coming out here and brooding in the middle of the night.” 

Ben jumped like he had been shot; when he caught Klaus’ eyes his shoulders dropped and he laughed, “Jeez! Mom! What are you doing out here!?”

“Oh, I couldn’t sleep - I thought I might find you out here.” He smiled and gestured to the empty seat. 

“Yeah, go ahead.”

Klaus sat and looked out over the bay at the twinkling lights of the city glimmering in the black, cold water’s surface. He inhaled, the cold air was painful in his lungs but it was familiar and it brought a sort of nostalgia through his mind; flickering memories, some pleasant, some sickening, most just lonely. 

He blinked back the memories and looked over at his youngest son, “I thought you’d be out partying - having fun - This place is beautiful but it’s not fun.”

Ben looked sheepish, suddenly he looked like a teenager that had been caught red handed, it made Klaus’ heart restrict. 

“Can I bum a cigarette?” Klaus put his hand out. 

“I don’t smoke.”

Klaus tilted his head, “Benjamin.”

Ben sat back and chuckled defeatedly, he pulled a pack out of his pocket and handed it to his father. Klaus took one and waited patiently for Ben to flick a lighter politely so he could lean in and light up the tip. 

Klaus leaned back and inhaled. He closed his eyes, “These bitches are hard to quit but I guess I’ve earned this one.”

“I’m really surprised you’re taking this so well, honestly.” Ben’s gaze lingered far into the water and Klaus followed his line of sight. 

“Oh, I’m definitely not.” He scoffed, leaning forward, “But what kind of high horsed hypocrite would I be if I threw a hissy fit? After the shit I’ve done - no - I can’t say anything. I can’t judge. I lost that privilege ten stomach pumps ago.” Klaus looked at Ben, “But I can worry.”

Ben swallowed, “That’s the thing though, right? You’ve already been through all this. Theo and Daisy learn - But I’m just too stupid to get it through my thick skull… I gotta experience everything first hand.”

He gave a weak, forced smile “I don’t like feeling like this, listen, I just want to have fun but then the woman I love says I’m childish and dumb. So she leaves. Then I try to get into the army - be something worthwhile that isn’t just me following in my families shadow and even they wouldn’t take me.” He laughed, then lit up a cigarette and inhaled, “I mean, I guess I hide it well enough from you and pops but at least being the family fuck up is something right?”

Klaus covered his mouth and leaned forward, “You know, everyone keeps saying you're so much like me but I’m starting to think you’re just like Dave.” 

“Ben - Relationships end -” He shuddered, “Going into the Army isn’t going to make you more or less of a man. You have nothing to prove. To us, to your ex, to the United States. Do you know that?”

“Mom, you and Pops are Vietnam Vets - you’re survivors and you saved us and spent your lives trying to save the world. Theo is a CSI, he brings light and answers to people, he spends his free time trying to help people suffering from addiction. He can’t help it. He’s a superhero.”

Ben’s hands waved around him and the cigarette between his fingers sent wisps of smoke into the dim light, “Daisy is a genius, she’ll save the world and go head to head with the most dangerous organizations in the universe and then she’ll go back to teaching at risk youth.”

“There’s a reason why they’re so disruptive to the timeline. And I try - I really do, but--” Ben’s voice broke “If I didn’t make it everything would have been okay.”

Klaus’ mouth dropped and he stood up, he paced and tossed the cigarette butt down. He made a few sounds then sat back down, “You don’t…” He snapped. “How dare - “ He leaned forward again and inhaled deeply before saying softly, “I wouldn’t have been okay.”

They sat in silence for several minutes. Ben leaned back, staring into the night and sniffing every other breath. Klaus leaned forward watching as his breath came out in white billowing clouds. 

“When Theo and Daisy were born- It was so special but so painful. I barely remember when Theo was a baby. Trying to help Daisy tore us apart in so many ways. . It was worth it in every way.”

Klaus put his hands out in front of him, his palms raised to the night air, “So when we found you we were so geared up and ready for a fight.” He put his fists up in a boxing motion. “ Then they put you in my arms and you fit there so perfectly, like you were always supposed to be mine. So special. So right? Everything was so easy with you...”

Ben laughed lightly and leaned into his father’s shoulder, “You say that now - In the future, uncle Five gave me the nickname ‘number 4’s curse’ and ‘-Whatthehellareyoudoingputthatdown you little-- Gah!” He waved his fist copying his uncle’s tone surprisingly well. 

Klaus giggled despite himself, “See, you were always mine…”

He frowned, placing a firm kiss on his son’s head, “You don’t have to justify being alive, Benjamin - Everything about you has already made the world a better place - Made me so proud…”

For the first time since the conversation started, Ben closed his eyes, “I know you’re proud of me – I just don’t feel like you should be.”

Klaus huffed, “Well, too bad, mister – you don’t get a say in that matter.”

He laughed, “Before I left on this _illustrious_ honeymoon, you smacked yourself with your own shoe, fell over and farted. Boom- That was worth you being alive a million times over.

After a few moments he spoke up again, but his voice was slightly different, “You do realize that just a couple days ago, while you were in the middle of your escapism and your youthful angst, frolicking carelessly from bar to bar – you saw somebody being hurt and you stopped everything to help them. You didn’t know that person was me. Do you have any idea how incredible that is?”

“Thanks, mom – I-- I wish that I didn’t feel so… shitty.”

“I know you do, sweetheart, but I promise you that all this will pass..” He turned towards Ben and pulled his face up to look him in the eyes “As long as you remember that we’re on your side and we’ll be there while you’re winning and when you’re losing.”

“Also that, if you ever-“ Klaus ground his teeth and closed his eyes, “ _Ever _say that it wouldn’t have mattered if you didn’t make it again I will materialize from wherever in the universe I am and beat you with my shoe – do you understand me?”__

__Ben leaned back and laughed._ _

__“Actually – nope – I’ve never spanked my kids, now is as good a time as any to start. Come here—”_ _

__Klaus unwrapped his scarf and stood up. Ben’s face lit up and he cackled, jumping away and bolting around to the other side of the bench._ _

__“Stay put and let me beat you!” Klaus chased Ben in a cartoonish sequence around the bench earning them several confused stares from onlookers passing by on the road. He waved the maroon scarf out in front of him aimlessly and never managed to clip any of his son. He was already an uncoordinated mess and the slick ground did nothing for his grace or for his back as he slipped around carelessly._ _

__Ben would switch It up sometimes and lead them back and forth in a motion that looked like two dogs trying to pounce on each other. He giggled childishly and did a quick, athletically impressive lap around his father staying just out of reach and curving back around._ _

__Between the cold, the added clothes, and the fact that he was already running on very little sleep (It wasn’t because he was old), it wasn’t very long before Klaus stopped and leaned against the back of the seat gasping for air and groaning._ _

__“Jesus, you were so much easier to catch in 2019…” He said breathlessly “Whew!”_ _

__“Was that when you were actually taller than me?” Ben grinned mischievously he had barely broken a sweat from their little escapade._ _

__“Listen.” Klaus pointed a finger and dropped his head against the bench, breathing heavily “Shut up.” He finished in a whiny tone._ _

__Ben finally walked back and sat back down on the bench, he looked up at his father, “Thanks.” He said in a more solemn tone._ _

__“I don’t know what you’re thanking me for – Plus you fell right into my trap.” Klaus started smacking Ben with the scarf in earnest._ _

__“How. Dare. You. Say that it wouldn’t have mattered if you lived or not.” Klaus punctuated his words with the playful but adamant blows of the scarf. Ben had rolled over and was giggling loudly, barely affected by the fabric hitting him._ _

__“Don’t you _ever _say something like that again!” He smacked him one more time for good measure, “Dumb baby.”___ _

____Then he crawled back to the front of the bench, “Move over—” He rolled his son over who just slumped over with a grin to give him space._ _ _ _

____Klaus rested against Ben and groaned tiredly, “Okay-“He started with a breathless giggle, “You’ve been punished. Take me to the hospital, now.”_ _ _ _

____Ben pulled an arm around his father and hugged him, “Do you need a walker?”_ _ _ _

____“Don’t even start with me.”  
***********************************************_ _ _ _

____The house was dark and quiet, which Margot had been expecting, it always felt scandalous sneaking in even though Daisy had given her a key. Despite having permission, she still tip toed quickly through the living room and opened the door to the basement with the utmost care._ _ _ _

____She padded down the carpeted stairs and took a deep exhale, trying to stop herself from grinning stupidly as she entered Daisy’s basement apartment. She stopped when she reached the bottom of the stairs at the sight of someone in a black uniform skulking around near the entrance to Daisy’s main experimentation chamber._ _ _ _

____Margot’s eyes darted around; She knew that Daisy would ost likely be working in that room and whether or not she was even aware of her surroundings was hard to say. Thankfully half of Daisy’s floor was made up of colorful fur rugs so as Margot bent down and picked up a wrench lying on a pile of books the floor muffled her sounds._ _ _ _

____She tiptoed up and with a grimace swung the wrench as hard as she could at the stranger’s head. He cried out and collapsed on top of the gun that she now saw with dread. Margot held the wrench aloft, breathing heavily._ _ _ _

____A moment later Daisy came into the room. She looked at Margot and her face lit up; even while holding a bloody wrench Margot’s heart fluttered fondly in her chest. Daisy was beautiful, from her dark skin to her big brown eyes that seemed to glimmer with the very constellations of the universe and a mind that just couldn’t be contained… Margot sighed then remembered that there was an unconscious man at her feet._ _ _ _

____“Hey! You got here fast!” Daisy had a piece of chalk in her hands and she waved it around excitedly like a magic wand._ _ _ _

____She looked down and her eyebrows furrowed slightly, “Who’s that dude?”_ _ _ _

____There was a yell from upstairs and Margot whined and backed up towards Daisy, holding the wrench out like a sword._ _ _ _

____Daisy crouched down and pulled ID and the gun off the unconscious man’s body, she loaded the weapon and flicked off the safety. She smiled reassuringly at her guest - “Hey, thanks for that - Let’s go make sure there aren’t any more of these asswipes, okay?”  
******************************************************_ _ _ _

____Ben’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out, he read the text and he frowned._ _ _ _

____“What’s wrong?”_ _ _ _

____Ben was already getting to his feet, “It’s from Sam, it says ‘Could use a little help here.’ Something’s wrong._ _ _ _

____When they arrived at the house they knew that they were in the right spot because of the blue glowing energy that was pulsating from every crack and window. Not only that but there were fully corporeal ghosts meandering chaotically in the front yard; They were surrounding the house like a beacon._ _ _ _

____Klaus and Ben jumped out and bolted towards the door. Ben was through first and he was the first to come face to face with a shotgun wielding Sam, he jumped back and threw his hands up “Easy Lone Ranger it’s just us!”_ _ _ _

____They put the gun down, “Finally - It’s all gone to shit ‘round here. The handler and a buncha her cronies showed up. I think we got most of them but I’m checking for stragglers - Theo and Daisy are downstairs talking to the handler.” They kicked the wall angrily, mumbling curses under their breath._ _ _ _

____Ben lunged forward and threw Sam into the back wall, pushing them out of the way of a knife aimed straight for their head. They turned around just in time to see the man in the bunny mask dip away past the upstairs railing._ _ _ _

____Ben patted Sam on the arm, “I’ll take care of the upstairs, you take care of Roo and Pops, yeah?”_ _ _ _

____Sam was glowering at the empty space, their shotgun focused directly at where the bunnyman’s head had been a moment before. They nodded curtly._ _ _ _

____Ben bolted upstairs and Klaus followed behind him, slower and not nearly as graceful. They had just made it up the stairs when Ben rolled forward dodging another knife with a surprisingly elegant kick and managed to shove the bunnyman into the guest bedroom._ _ _ _

____It was a fair fight and Ben and the Bunnyman wrestled violently throughout the whole nicely decorated room. Klaus focused his energy but although his hands started to glow blue the energy just fizzled away a moment later. He groaned and grabbed a lamp and threw it at the attacker. He continued to grab things and throw it at the bunnyman, as they were moving so fast he couldn’t jump into the fight,_ _ _ _

____It seemed like Ben was getting the upper hand until the Bunnyman shoved him into the mirror - shattering it on contact. Ben’s hand grappled with the broken pieces of glass as he attempted to wriggle his way out of the hold, blood was leaking dangerously fast from the cuts. The Bunnyman was quick to pull a knife and stab it into Ben’s shoulder as he was distracted by the pain._ _ _ _

____Klaus felt his world crumble around him as Ben screamed in pain and the bunnyman lifted his arm to strike him again. Klaus ran forward shoving the old familiar enemy away, except this time he didn’t let go and they tumbled through the window and onto the overhanging. He heard Ben curse as he ripped the knife out and attempted to follow them._ _ _ _

____The Bunnyman was a lot stronger and obviously he was trained so it wasn’t difficult for him to flip Klaus over and begin striking him brutally in the face. He struggled against him, kicking and clawing desperately as he beat him._ _ _ _

____The bunnyman was pulled away as Ben grabbed the back of his neck and ripped him away, punching him and sending him over the edge of the roof. He toppled down, rolling off the trees and landing on the cold ground with a thud._ _ _ _

____Klaus groaned and split up blood, turning over to watch the Bunnyman down on the ground. Ben was already on his knees next to him, “Mom, are you okay?”_ _ _ _

____Klaus watched as the man who had just tried to kill his son, who had already tried to kidnap his son and who had forcefully drugged him on his honeymoon lifted on arm up and began to lift off the ground. Klaus wasn’t thinking when he rolled back off the roof for the second time in 24 hours - he was just seeing red._ _ _ _

____“Mom, what the hell?!”_ _ _ _

____Klaus landed a lot harder than he had the first time but he pushed through the pain and immediately grappled the bunnyman back to the ground. They wrestled and the masked attacker landed a painful knee hit to Klaus’ stomach. However, The Seance gained the upper hand when he grabbed a rock and began to bash it into the bunny mask. His temper got the best of him and he stopped thinking, only hitting and hitting as hard as he could._ _ _ _

____He heard Ben yelling at him and then suddenly he felt someone grabbing his arms and pulling him away. Dave grabbed him and ripped him away from the bunnyman who was now officially dead beyond repair. He shook Klaus’ arms making him drop the rock and continued holding him even as he struggled and fought to continue attacking the man who had attempted to kill his son._ _ _ _

____“EASY! Easy, momma bear!” Dave turned him away and wrapped his arms around him, holding him secure even as he wriggled and growled._ _ _ _

____“Klaus! Stop it! He’s dead!”_ _ _ _

____When Klaus stopped struggling Dave let him go and he stared at the body until he the red haze started to leave his senses and he collapsed to the side and began to vomit. Ben was standing off to the side now - holding his own arm and staring in horror at the scene in front of him._ _ _ _

____After a few heaves Klaus fell onto his back, his mouth hanging open, blood still dribbling from his mouth. Dave got on his knees and checked him over, after a moment he laid onto his back next to his husband._ _ _ _

____Klaus’ eyes looked towards the front door where a woman, presumably the handler, was backing away. She seemed in good spirits despite the fact that she had Sam holding a shotgun aimed at her and also Daisy and Theo escorting her out. Daisy’s head was held high and she was speaking but Klaus couldn’t hear what she was saying but they seemed to have come to some sort of agreement._ _ _ _

____Theo. Theo’s eyes were white, he was gliding more than walking and the ghosts in the area were flashing blue and screaming protectively. Intense blue energy surrounded him and as the handler opened a time portal he raised his hands and she was pushed backwards through it. Even as the portal closed he remained floating gently, and he clapped his hands and every spirit with a hundred yards disintegrated and vanished._ _ _ _

____He levitated gently back to the ground and his eyes returned to normal._ _ _ _

____Dave tapped Klaus on the arm weakly, “So- Uh, The kids have got powers now.” He said dryly._ _ _ _

____Klaus rolled over and pressed his bleeding face into his husband’s shoulder with a pained groan. “Yeah, no shit, David.”_ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always adored!   
> Here's a few songs from my OCs playlists!  
> Theo: Bleachers - Wild Heart   
> Ben: Taylor Swift - This is Me Trying  
> Daisy: Starley - Call on Me (Ryan Riback Remix)


	22. Honeymoon (5) (Final)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long and messy process, Klaus and Dave manage to survive their honeymoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This is the last chapter of the Honeymoon arc and I will be taking a break to work on a new story! If you guys have any prompts within this universe send them my way and I'll add them here! Thanks so much for reading!

Brian moved cooly down the little path that led up to his nephew's house; he was looking forward to a fishing trip that they had planned. Although he was about 20 minutes early, he didn’t think it would be a problem. He knocked on the door. After a couple minutes there was no answer. 

He knocked again. This time a little more insistent but still Dave didn’t come to the door. And neither did his weird roommate, the one who made Brian’s skin crawl and always managed to get on his nerves. He understood that they had served together but he would never understand why his nephew put up with someone like that or the child he had brought back with him. In fact, Brian had actually wanted to talk with Dave about that today, to warn him that this guy was just using his charity and Dave deserved to move on from their problems. 

“Must be out back.” He mumbled to himself. 

He inspected the area, getting impatient and decided to check the backyard. He moved around the house and headed for the back. They had put up a 6 foot privacy fence since the last time he had been over. He wondered sourly if the fence was put up after his last visit when he and the roommate (was his name Kevin? Kyle?) had that less than pleasant interaction over the wire fence. 

Brian heard voices through what sounded like a radio playing the hits and peaked through the cracks of one of the boards. He saw the roommate’s little Vietnamese child on the ground playing idly in a small, homemade sandbox. He shifted slightly to look at the back door and he finally caught a glimpse of his nephew standing near the doors. 

He was about to say something when his view was blocked as the roommate walked past him from another area in the yard. Brian noticed with disgust that he seemed to be wearing a woman’s skirt. Kyle (?) walked easily up to his nephew speaking quickly and loudly, although he couldn’t understand what he was saying over the radio. 

Then, without prompt, Dave put his hands on the other man’s hips and pulled him against his chest. Then he kissed him, one hand moved to his lower back and the other cupped around his jaw. They kissed for several moments while Brian watched in horror - his mind short circuiting trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Then they broke apart and the roommate said something; they both laughed. Dave pulled him into a hug and pressed his lips against the other man’s head. 

Brian backed away, he was sweating and he stumbled away in shock towards the front yard. His mind reeled and his chest burned with anger - this wasn’t his nephew, that queer had obviously confused him. Had been using him to have a place to live and raise that child. Yeah, that was what was happening. 

He decided right there that he would have to help, even if Dave hated him for it. He would thank him later. Brian began to walk back to his car - he would have to go to the police - they had places for people like that queer and for people like that child. 

In the midst of his panic and his anger he didn’t notice the lovely black woman walking casually towards him from the sidewalk. She was dressed in strange clothing, carrying her purse out in front of her politely. He was rubbing his face and glancing behind him - he bumped into her, “Excuse me!” He snapped, trying to get to his car. 

She tilted her head and smiled at him causing him to falter. When she spoke her voice was firm and rich, “Someone told me a story ~ _Someone told me a story _~ that you minded your damn business.”__

__Brian’s eyes glazed over and he stumbled backwards. He looked around, he couldn’t remember what he was doing… He looked at the house and it clicked. Yeah, he was supposed to meet Dave here for their fishing trip. He shook his head and walked back up towards the door. He knocked and waited several minutes until his nephew opened the door._ _

__Dave greeted him with a familial hug and gestured to his truck, closing the front door behind him and leading his uncle to the driveway. “I already got everything ready to go - packed us a lunch and everything.”_ _

__Brian smiled, “Can’t wait!”_ _

__The woman, pleased with her work, turned and walked back to where she came from, when she reached a secluded alley she tapped the band around her arm and disappeared in a swirl of purple energy._ _

__**********************************************************************_ _

__Daisy’s living space was just as eclectic and as bright as she was, is the first thing that Klaus thought when they made their way down a long staircase into the open plan flat. She had a variety of fuzzy rugs in all kinds of colors- pink, neon yellow, and orange along with brightly patterned walls. There were couches and recliners spread out in a half circle facing giant chalkboards that were already filled to the brim with mathematical equations._ _

__There was an arched doorway that revealed a whole technical set up with monitors and flashing lights. There was something else that was hard to see but it was sending lights against the walls sporadically. On the other side of the area was a bunkbed – the bottom bunk looked used while the top bunk had stuffed animals lined up like an audience along the edge. The bed was surrounded by piles of books, some were open while others still seemed to act more like a makeshift table._ _

__Klaus wondered if this is what it looked like inside of Daisy’s head – bright, complex and filled to the brim with activity and flashing lights._ _

__Daisy was standing over her modified switchboard, staring at the various lights that surrounded a screen where they could watch scenes in time playout as if they were watching a movie. Margot was behind Daisy with one hand resting comfortably on her back in support._ _

__Margot glanced away as Klaus and Dave re entered the basement. Margot had bright hazel eyes magnified by large glasses and hair so big and curly it seemed to have a life of its own. She was shy but seemed particularly protective of Daisy._ _

__Klaus liked Margot, and he wasn’t the only one - Theo and Ben seemed to be on a mission to make sure she already felt like a part of the family. They had vaguely mentioned that although Daisy was an incredibly social person, she was kind of an outsider and struggled with maintaining relationships - especially since, Theo had said with distaste, that most people that Daisy dated fell under the “old professor type who just wanted to steal her work”._ _

__When Daisy spoke with Margot it was like they were speaking their own language and everyone else was just left in the dust. Margot just had the mental apptitude to keep up and Daisy never had to dumb down her own thoughts for her - it was fascinating watching them do this intellectual dance._ _

__Daisy cheered as a flash of purple enveloped an area of the padded floor and suddenly Claire was standing in the basement. She bowed, “Thank you, thank you - It was nothing, really.” She laughed and joined her cousin at the switchboard._ _

__“Did that work?” She asked, leaning into the screen._ _

__“Yeah, the timeline adjusted perfectly. Piece of cake!”_ _

__“I know that sending Claire in is usually a shoe in for success but I still think a good punch in the jaw would have helped.” Theo said, sitting on a surrounding chair with his legs crossed. He was watching the whole interaction a little boredly._ _

__Ben snorted from his place, laying on on the couch with his niece sleeping soundly in the crook of his arm, “We’re all very sorry you didn’t get to fulfil your childhood dream of beating the shit out of uncle Brian.”_ _

__“Was he really that bad?” Dave interjected worriedly._ _

__This whole experience had been unsettling due to the fact that so much of their arrogance had led them so close to being either hurt, killed, or separated while always pulling a ridge runner and slipping out by the skin of their teeth unharmed without even understanding what was actually going on. They had thought that they were lucky, it turns out someone was on the outside saving their asses the whole time._ _

__Theo sighed, “He wasn’t that bad as long as you were there - but he always put me on edge. Obviously, I was right for thinking that.”_ _

__Dave grimaced._ _

__The massive chalkboard listed and connected the varying weak points in the timeline and they were almost all circled with a check mark. Everything from avoiding full on apocalypses, saving their lives, to small seemingly insignificant things that snowballed later had been corrected._ _

__Daisy stood up and skipped to the board, circling the event with Brian and adding a checkmark. She looked around and pointed to a line with an explanation below it - “Okay, this should be one of the last events! It won’t be long at all and we’ll be able to get you guys back home and I’ll be able to re stabilize the protections in the timeline - which will get the commission off my ass and keep anybody from falling out of other universes.”_ _

__Klaus walked up behind her and read the text over her shoulder, he huffed, “I’ll take this one.”_ _

__She looked up at him, “You’re sure? We can always send Ben.”_ _

__“I’m holding the baby.” He reminded from the couch. In his defense, he had been sent to correct a lot of the events due to his specific skills of being able to outrun situations._ _

__“Yeah, I’m sure - After all, it was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me!”_ _

__**********************************************************_ _

__Klaus landed a few blocks away from where he needed to be - which was good because he would need time to make sure that the coast was clear. He moved quietly down the streets until he got the old motel - the one that had been burned into his memory forever._ _

__He settled next to one of the cars sitting in the parking lot, one that had mostly likely been abandoned and not towed just yet and waited. After about fifteen minutes Hazel and Cha-Cha left the upper room and made their way to their own vehicle, the one he had been shoved in the trunk of, and they drove off to do who the hell knows what._ _

__Klaus moved swiftly up the stairs and began to pick the lock - these old motels barely had any protections so he was able to open it without any issues. He cracked the door and peaked inside- the smell sent a shiver down his spine._ _

__He knew where his younger self was - he was stuffed in the closet having a panic attack coming down with withdrawals. He was more concerned with where Ben was but luckily the ghost seemed to be in the closet with his brother._ _

__

__Klaus slipped inside and wasted no time. He went to the vent and pulled it off - he grabbed the briefcase and looked at the small hidden panel. He vaguely understood how it worked now and could see that it was set to go back to the commission when activated. That was smart._ _

__He clicked through the dates and places stopping at the very specific date and spot that would send him exactly where he needed to go. He closed it and stuffed it back into the vent, placing the cover over it loosely._ _

__He cringed, he listened as his 30 year old self screamed and begged for someone to save him. Klaus wanted to tell him that - well, there wasn’t much he could say was there? His family would never come and save him, in fact, they wouldn’t notice that he was missing. The scars of torture would never really go away, either physically or psychologically and he would remain hurt by the experience for a long time._ _

__There was very little comfort in the situation, only that if he stuck it out things would get better and he would find himself happy and fulfilled in the future. But now, someone was hearing his desperate cries for help, knowing that he was in the closet bleeding, dehydrated and hallucinating and they were going to slip away and leave him there like everyone else._ _

__Klaus quietly closed the door behind him and looked out over the seedy area, he tilted his head when he spotted someone standing on the corner staring back at him. They were in a black hoodie and their face was obscuring. He started walking towards them and they turned their back and walked away._ _

__He followed them through the city, to the little diner where they used to sneak out and get donuts from when they were kids. The mystery person went inside and slipped in the back corner booth._ _

__Klaus copied them and sat down opposite them, they didn’t do or say anything as the old waitress came up and handed them a menu. He flipped through it, not looking forward, “Are you okay?”_ _

__The person shifted and sighed, “How did you know it was me?”_ _

__He set the menu down and looked up, “Just a hunch - After all, Daisy, when things go right, you’re usually the one behind it.”_ _

__The stranger pushed back their hood and smiled, it was Daisy, however she was much older - certainly older than Klaus at this moment. She had a scar that trailed down one side of her face which he had the urge to reach out and touch as if he could make it disappear._ _

__She accepted the coffee that the waitress set down and took a sip._ _

__“Are you okay?” Klaus repeated._ _

__She watched him over the edge of the cup and nodded, “I’m… Doing well - It’s been a long time but I think that things should finally be able to move forward. Everything in time is so… Finicky.. And specific - everything has to be exactly right when you’re spitting in the face of god herself.”_ _

__Klaus put his hands out, “So you’ve carried on the family tradition of being a thorn in God’s side? That’s good to know!” His smile faded, it was unnerving looking at his daughter - when she looked like she was old enough to be his mother “Now that you’ve saved us and yourself, what are you going to do now?”_ _

__She shrugged, “I don’t know - I’ve been alone for a long time and…” She reached out her hands and grabbed his “It’s good to see you, mom.”_ _

__“It’s good to see you too, pumpkin…” He leaned forward, “You don’t have to be alone - I get that you’re from another version of this timeline but you could stay here! I’d visit you all the time! So would your pops. I don’t want you to be alone.”_ _

__She smiled and tears started falling down her face, she nodded, “I know you don’t…” She used one of her sleeves to wipe off her face._ _

__“Mom, can you tell me the story of when I was born? Like you used to tell me when I was little?” She asked hopefully._ _

__Klaus leaned back and thought about if for a moment, a smile spread over his face, “Well, you see - Your brother had just started school and I just wanted another baby so badly I couldn't hardly stand it. Then, one night, August 19th at 1 in the morning Dave found you - and you were the only poor soul that survived that night. So he called me up and I raced over there as fast as I could to where Doctor Langley and his amazing nurses were taking care of you.”_ _

__“When I saw you, I knew you were the most special little girl in the whole wide world…”_ _

__“And how did you know that?” Daisy spoke up, knowing the script by heart._ _

__“Well, you know your father fought in the war and he is the toughest person that I know - he’s gone head to head with cannons and people hell bent on killing him - he dragged your brother and me out of the war and brought us home all by himself!” Klaus’ hands threw around wildly as he spoke and his voice raised._ _

__He leaned forward, “Then he met you you... and you just murdered the man--”_ _

__Daisy giggled._ _

__“He took one look at you - you were the size of a loaf of your grandma’s banana bread - and it was full KO. No mercy. You were using his entrails as a boa then you shoved him through a wood chipper. It. Was. Brutal.” Klaus waved his hand, “So, of course, I knew that you were mine. I swept your pops off the floor and I waited until I could hold you.”_ _

__“And then what happened?” She was watching him tell the story with her chin setting up against the palms of her hands._ _

__“Well, it wasn’t all cut and dry - there was a lot of back and forth. We loved you so much but your father was concerned (And rightly so) that maybe we weren’t right for you. He pointed out that maybe you would be safer with another family and we were just being a little selfish by trying to keep you with us.”_ _

__“And what did you say?”_ _

__Klaus took a sip of coffee, “Well, I said - that’s a good point, Dave. Counter argument. If anyone tries to take my baby away from me I’ll rip their face off and that includes you.”_ _

__Daisy laughed and Klaus couldn’t help but grin, “He thought that was a pretty good argument.”_ _

__Klaus flashed his palms, “And the rest- as they say- is history.”_ _

__“I miss that story.” She reached over and squeezed his hands again, “You better go - I’m sure that I’m waiting for you to get back.”_ _

__“Daisy - I’m serious - I know that the psychosis thing makes it so that you can’t stay with us but that doesn’t mean you’re alone - I’ll come visit you every day if that’s what you need.”_ _

__She thought about it for a few moments, “I might do that - I’ve been running for a very long time. It might be nice to settle down.”_ _

__He nodded adamantly, “Exactly - and Daisy?”_ _

__“Yeah?”_ _

__“Thank you so much.”_ _

__She stood up and hugged him. It was the hardest thing in the world for him to let her go but he did eventually - begging her to contact him when they get back in the future. He left her in the diner and found an empty spot next to the dumpsters and tapped his arm band, disappearing in a flash of purple energy._ _

__***********************************************_ _

__“Wait- wait! I have to say goodbye to Ruth!” Klaus moved off the pad and met Sam as they were coming down the stairs with Baby Rue._ _

__They gave him the baby and he bounced her around gently, “Hey, you! I gotta split, okay? But I’ll see you in 18 years - I’ll miss you so much the whole time!”_ _

__Dave came up behind him and pressed a kiss to his granddaughter’s head, “It’ll be no time at all- Keep you mom and dad on their toes for us.” He winked and she grabbed his finger and shook it around for a moment._ _

__They looked to Sam next, “And Sam? I can’t wait to meet you again.”_ _

__“Oh, you’ll see me a lot sooner than you’ll see her - 3 or 4 years, I reckon.” They smiled and embraced both of them then took back the baby and stood off to the side of the pad._ _

__It was hard saying goodbye but the prospect of continuing their life from where they had left off about two weeks ago took a massive weight off their shoulders. They waved as the purple energy enveloped them and took them away from their adult children._ _

__They landed relatively softly just outside the door of the academy, it was nighttime and the air was warm. Klaus rolled his head back, “Oh, thank God!”_ _

__“Yes!”_ _

__Dave turned to Klaus and embraced him, twirled him around and kissed him. They held onto each other for several moments before Klaus pulled away with a grin, “We made it!”_ _

__As the initial celebration and excitement died down they felt the exhaustion roll over their bodies and they sighed almost simultaneously._ _

__They didn’t have to say anything to each other, both deciding that maybe they had stretched their honeymoon out way too much already and they quickly went back into the mansion. They passed by Five who was sitting at the bar scribbling at a notepad, he looked up at them inquisitively, “What the hell happened to you guys? It’s only been two hours.”_ _

__They were in the same clothes that they had left in but they were ripped, Klaus was barefoot and although his dress was surprisingly unstained from the whole escapade the bruises and fresh cuts were still blooming down his arms and over his face. Dave’s face was bruised and his hair was longer, letting unkempt curls fall over his forehead._ _

__“We’ve decided…” Klaus glanced between them, “That honeymoons are overrated.” He announced then promptly grabbed Dave’s hand and led him upstairs before Five could ask anymore questions._ _

__They stopped outside Theo’s room, the door was partially opened. They peeked inside; Theo was sitting up in the bed, his hands in fists covering his face and they could hear sniffling from behind his knuckles._ _

__Dave flashed a worried glance at Klaus who turned back towards the room. There were ghosts wandering around, floating corpses that were moving closer; circling the bed and his son. Their attention had been caught by the fact that this kid could see them now. Just like when Klaus was a child, they prodded and yelled and attempted to get his attention._ _

__Klaus moved into the room, he said nothing but sat down on the edge of the bed. Theo’s head shot up and he gasped, “Mom - I-”_ _

__Dave followed close behind, he couldn’t do anything but he sat down and put a hand on his son’s back, anyway._ _

__“Shh, it’s okay - “ Klaus took one of his son’s hands in his own and pulled it forward, “Don’t clench your fists, palms out. Like this…” Using his mom’s hand as an example, Theo opened his fist and splayed out his fingers. His breath was shaky and faltering as one of the ghosts came closer and screamed. He jumped like he had been shot._ _

__“I know you’re scared but if you tell them to leave - they will obey you. Okay? I need you to take a deep breath.”_ _

__Theo closed his eyes and inhaled, his hand still stretched out trembling against the face of the nearest spirit._ _

__“Now, think of something that makes you happy. Makes you feel safe and at peace.” Klaus waited a beat, “Have you got it?”_ _

__Theo nodded._ _

__“Okay, now exhale and think of that happiness and peace filling up the room with light.”_ _

__Theo exhaled. The ghost in front of him yelled as nothing happened. He whimpered._ _

__“It’s okay. Try again. Inhale. Picture the thing that makes you happy. Then exhale and know that they will do as you say.”_ _

__Theo inhaled deeply and his palm lit up with blue energy, he paused for a moment then exhaled. The blue energy spread and began to push the ghosts away, it was slow and tedious but they clawed and fought against it._ _

__“One more time. Inhale. Exhale. My powers aren’t working very well right now, otherwise I would get rid of them for you, I promise.”_ _

__Theo looked around and realized what he did, he closed his eyes and repeated the process - this time the power from his hand pushed the spirits away entirely and the room became quiet again. He looked to his parents then at his hands, he looked like he wanted to say something but he didn’t speak._ _

__Theo started openly sobbing and Klaus was the first to grab him and hug him, “I know it’s scary - I know you’re scared. It’s okay to be scared. Listen to me, Theo - They won’t hurt you and tomorrow morning we can start practicing, okay? Tonight, keep your headphones in and if it gets to be too much come get us. We’ll be in the next room.”_ _

__Dave got up and gathered Theo’s music player and headphones from the dresser. He handed them to his son and clicked the lamp on, “There’s nothing wrong with keeping the lights on, buddy.” He kissed the top of his son’s head, “Nothing wrong with being scared.”_ _

__He nodded and put on the headphones, laying back down and covering his head with his blanket. Klaus paused for a moment, leaving a hand on Theo’s arm, “We’re just in th next room if you need us. I love you, Theo.”_ _

__They left the room and without prompt Dave pulled an arm around Klaus, “He’s going to be okay. You know that now.”_ _

__“I did that to him.”_ _

__“It’s not a disease, angel - He’s a tough kid, they all are. He knows he’s not alone in this, okay?”_ _

__Klaus nodded, “Okay.”_ _

__“Now, let’s go see if Daisy’s awake.”_ _

__Klaus scoffed, “I think we’ll be lucky if she’s in her room.”_ _

__He wasn’t wrong, when they carefully opened the door to the girls’ room the lights were off but the blanket fort was completely empty. They started moving through the rooms of the floor, gently pushing them open and peeking inside. It was when they got to Reginald’s old office that they saw the little line of light coming out from under the door._ _

__They gently pushed it open and looked inside._ _

__“I wish I had a little brother…” Claire said, handing a piece of string to Daisy who tied to to a lever which was connected to a series of little traps and mechanisms around the room._ _

__Daisy nodded, “Yeah. He’s pretty useful, he’ll do anything for a piece of candy.”_ _

__She moved to the middle of the contraption to where little Ben was sitting, completely oblivious that he was being used. She placed a bon bon on a platform and the toddler reached up and snatched it up, stuffing it in his mouth._ _

__As his little hand moved off the small platform it sunk and started a chain reaction that began to roll through the room in a circular pattern. It was running smoothly until a marble rolled off course and landed with a thump on the wood floors stopping the reaction._ _

__“We’ve almost got it! Only a couple more tries!”_ _

__Dave had his hand over his mouth trying not to laugh, he removed his hand and put on a stern face, “Daisy- What have we said about using your brother in your rube goldberg machines?”_ _

__The girls jumped and Daisy’s face immediately turned to indignation, “You guys just left!” She accused._ _

__“That doesn’t answer the question.”_ _

__She pouted, “Not until he’s old enough to understand what he’s signing up for…” She mumbled._ _

__“Great news! We decided to stay home!” Klaus moved past his husband and scooped Daisy up squishing her against his chest._ _

__She looked at him strangely, “What’s wrong with you guys?”_ _

__“I just couldn’t stand to be away from my little babies!” Klaus said melodramatically._ _

__She didn’t seem convinced which is why she looked next to her other father, he seemed like he was holding down laughter - probably at the confused look on her face. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”_ _

__“Okay…”_ _

__Klaus turned around and carefully stepped through the rube goldberg machine to reach the toddler sitting in the middle with droopy eyes. He picked him up and snuggled him to his chest, “Can’t run away from me now, can you, stinker?”_ _

__Dave helped him balance over the string and make it back to the door, they looked at each other and then glanced back towards the girls as if having a conversation without words. Dave was the one to announce the results, “No fire, nothing sharp, back in your room by 12, sound fair?”_ _

__“1:00.”_ _

__“11:30.”_ _

__Both girls groaned, “Okay, fine, 12:00!”_ _

__“Love you girls!” They closed the door. Klaus leaned against Dave who was helping to support Ben and sighed, “Oh, it’s so good to be home…”_ _

__They took him to his own room, Klaus was swaying gently back and forth as Ben started to fall asleep against him. Dave leaned against the doorway and watched them, “Our kids - are, like, amazing right?”_ _

__“Oh my god, right?”_ _

__“I mean, Theo’s a Crime scene investigator? That’s perfect - he’s so responsible and he’s going to be such a great dad!” Dave counted on his fingers, his eyes were bright “And Daisy? I mean, what can we even say? She’s a freaking super genius and she’s so friendly and kind…”_ _

__Klaus moved towards Dave and he reached out and touched the toddler’s sleepy face, “And our little Ben…” He leaned in and kissed his forehead, “ What a sweet, gentle hearted soul - our little superhero.”_ _

__“And not a single kid in prison, not a single super villain, and no teen pregnancy - We’re the best parents in the world! We should write a book - make bank on these munchkins.” Klaus said with a grin as he leaned down and settled the toddler in his bed for the second time that night._ _

__Klaus sighed and sauntered up to his husband as they cracked the door and moved into the hallway. He grabbed his face and kissed him, careful because of the bruises on his face and his own healing split lip._ _

__Dave hummed as they broke apart, “Well, we’ve got the kids settled and it is still technically our wedding night. You wanna…” He kissed his husband’s neck, “Take the longest, hottest bath possible and sleep in till tomorrow afternoon?”_ _

__Klaus laughed, “Yes! I am in so much pain!” he announced happily._ _

__Dave giggled against his shoulder, “Me too…”_ _

__They made their way to the bedroom careful not to wake up Allison or Ruth and Frank. “Oh, sweet, sweet, bath -” Klaus made it halfway through the room before he gave up and his body snapped backwards, “Nope - bed.”_ _

__Both men fell face first onto opposite sides of the bed fully clothed and were snoring in a matter of five minutes. It wasn’t the honeymoon they had been planning on but despite the chaos, the pain, and the insanity of the event they still came out of it knowing something that few people know. That everything was going to be okay._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always adored!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> I hope this wasn't too terrible! Anyway, I don't know how many chapters this will be but I will try to update as much as possible until I figure it out.  
> Thanks so much for reading!  
> -Shawn (He/Him and They/Them)


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